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Wear a helmet when you ride your bike. Look both ways before crossing the street. Be extremely careful when frying food in hot oil. There are plenty of things we do every single day that could end in tragedy if we ignore the safety rules seared into our brains. But there are also some things that you should probably just avoid point-blank, unless you want to take a trip to the hospital.

Healthcare workers on TikTok and Threads have recently been discussing activities that they would never let their loved ones partake in, due to what they’ve seen. We hope this list doesn’t unlock new fears in you, pandas, but it is a good reminder to always take your safety seriously. Good luck making it through to the end, and be sure to upvote the warnings that you think more people should hear!

#1

Healthcare worker in mask administering vaccine to young man in clinic, highlighting donorcycle healthcare safety measures. Former peds nurse and also child of parents born in the 1920s: I would never let anyone I love forgo vaccinations.

nancygalelee , CDC Report

Doofnuts
Community Member
46 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

THIS! As a "Boomer" I had all the childhood vaccines, including Polio. 24 years in the military, vaccines constantly, including Anthrax. I'm old now, I don't get sick and never have. Mark me up as pro-vaccine.

RELATED:
    #2

    Child playing baseball swinging bat while catcher and spectators watch during youth sports game. Urologist here - I never let my kids play any contact sport without wearing a cup. I’ve had to repair damaged or remove shattered testicles from kids who haven’t worn their cups during a practice or game. CUP UP!

    BallsMD , Alex Khoury Report

    #3

    Forensic pathologist here. It's best to say 'no' to: smoking, [illegal substances], donorcycles, ATVs, chiropractors, 'wellness' grifters, home births, bed-sharing with babies, not wearing seatbelts or helmets, ignoring mental health issues, ignorning chest pain, refusing vaccines, firearms in the home, running from the police, dismantling safety devices, running back into a burning building, engaging with unfamiliar dogs, pools without gates and alarms, elderly people on ladders...the list goes on and on.

    sisyphus8 Report

    Doofnuts
    Community Member
    35 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I feel like you are trying to say something here. Didn't quite get it though. (LOL)

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    #4

    Healthcare worker drinking an orange sports drink during a workout in an indoor gym with industrial lighting. Energy drinks. I'm in Cardiology and they are not good for your heart.

    user221824878:
    Energy drinks. As a paramedic I’ve seen too many young otherwise healthy people go into crazy rhythms because of them. Had a couple in straight up A-fib. No way.

    wild_wanderlust , Ketut Subiyanto Report

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    #5

    Elderly patient wearing mask lying in hospital bed with heart monitor nearby, representing healthcare workers' care. Continue to prolong their lives when quality of life is poor. At a certain point it just becomes cruel.

    alabasterink , DC Studio Report

    Doofnuts
    Community Member
    39 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Looks like he could be watching p**n, sooooo===

    #6

    Man in casual clothes resting on outdoor gym equipment holding a water bottle, reflecting healthcare workers advice. Be sedentary. I see far too many relatively young people almost immobilized and out of breath doing simple tasks because of weight and inactivity.

    robbiejsock , fentonroma143 Report

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    #7

    Blue swimwear (it blends in with the water and makes kids almost invisible to lifeguards).

    kitster700 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    35 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Rash vests with built in floats have been available for years here in New Zealand. Just don't leave your kids unsupervised in water ffs.

    #8

    Healthcare worker in green scrubs examining a patient's neck and shoulder during a clinical assessment. Chiropractor manipulating a person's neck. I have seen 2 occasions where a person ended up in our ICU after this. Both times, they needed surgery to repair the damage

    nachi_rn Report

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    #9

    As an acute care nurse i would say don’t self neglect. I support my loved ones to understand the importance of taking ownership of their own health decisions and care. Drink water, exercise, be kind to yourself and others. Chase peace, hydration, nutritious food and good company.

    saraanncham Report

    Doofnuts
    Community Member
    34 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't forget drinking with your peeps at the local tavern.

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    #10

    Healthcare worker resting in bed, partially covered with floral blanket, shielding eyes with hand in a cozy bedroom setting Psychologist here - no sleepovers!

    mentallyawbused:
    Be careful where you send your kids with, unless you know the family personally but even then it’s risky because majority of cases are from people they’re close with. My mom would let me sleep over my best friends house only because she was a single mother. No men around.

    missjp.30:
    I worked as a forensic nurse, no sleep overs. And just what I witnessed boys are not protected, even if the law is involved.

    user9785454287812 , Richard Stachmann Report

    Doofnuts
    Community Member
    44 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ummmm, does anybody know how to write a proper sentence any more?

    #11

    Man sitting on bed at night looking stressed, illustrating challenges healthcare workers never reveal to loved ones. To be honest if people knew how toxic alcohol is and what it does to the body, they’d never drink again.

    mdsnurse2298:
    Honestly? If you really wanna know, the answer is drink alcohol frequently. I work in a SNF. Chronic alcoholism causes far more disease and disability, more early nursing home admissions and more [fatalities] at a young age than all other causes combined.

    itsjustme824 , cottonbro studio Report

    Doofnuts
    Community Member
    42 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, 74, drink like crazy and having a good time. So, whatever.

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    #12

    Never take off immediately at a green light, the extra 3-5 seconds u wait can save your life!

    yola_2027 Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    30 minutes ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Also on the driving spectrum: if you hear Emergency vehicles when you're at a red light, wait until you can see where they're coming from, especially when your light turns green. You need to stop for them, not the other way round.

    #13

    Pregnant woman reclining on bed with pillows, smiling comfortably in a calm healthcare setting at home. NICU nurse…water births or home births.

    ashleybenefielmch , Yan Krukau Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    38 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My second son was a home birth - my choice. Way easier, calmer, quieter and two wonderful midwives in attendance. My personal opinion is that, unless absolutely medically necessary, the fewer doctors involved in childbirth, the better. My firstborn son was born in a maternity home and we were home before he was 12 hours old because there was no need for us to stay in the home. Community midwives visited every day for the first 2 weeks, then a community nurse every day until he was 6 weeks old. This was 1990 & 1991.

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    #14

    Accept medical advice from social media influencers who have affiliate links in bios, courses or supplements to sell, advertising that they found the big secret that the evil powers that be have kept from you but if you pay them, then they’ll give you the goods.

    theodicy Report

    #15

    Live in states with 6 week abortion bans.

    cothrans024 Report

    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Follow on Google News

    #16

    No alternative (quack) medicine for cancer.

    wink56 Report

    #17

    EMT here. Feet on dashboard. Just don’t do it. Please.

    toshiastable Report

    #18

    Not wear seatbelts... no sir in my car you will buckle up.

    pattygreen61 Report

    #19

    A person wearing a helmet performing a skateboarding trick at a skatepark surrounded by trees and greenery. Ride a skateboard/bike/skates without a helmet. We took care of a coworker-nurse’s son who was severely brain damaged after a skateboard accident. Heartbreaking.

    deborahemgee , Jan Kopřiva Report

    #20

    Taking any medication/supplements not FDA approved or gas station THC. The amount of patients I’ve seen in psychosis from anything unregulated is insane.

    bowling_for_amanda Report

    #21

    Pharmacist who’s worked in the ED at a level 2 trauma center. I have several:
    - No motorcycles or activities you’d do at Glamis. A bike may stop, but the eyeballs keep going.
    - Don’t get stupid drunk. Maybe no alcohol at all.
    - Don’t stick an arm into an industrial dryer before it’s stopped rotating—sheets and towels will wrap around it and essentially twist it off.
    - Always be aware of where your eye is in relation to an agave plant or trim the ends of your agave.

    ylayn Report

    #22

    Pediatrician here. ATVs. Refuse vaccines. American Football. Chiropractors - ESPECIALLY for babies and children. Respect Dr. Oz 🤮. Drink raw milk. Home birth. Listen to anything RFKJ has ever said. Refuse sunscreen…the list goes on.

    elephantbluebell Report

    #23

    Ride in the back of a pickup truck, wash cars with a toddler, or ride ATVs. For reference I was a heart transplant coordinator and these were situations that were donors. I also can’t abide kids in a boat without a life jacket or being pulled on a sled by any motorized vehicle.

    danafkay Report

    #24

    ER Doc here: a LOT of my business is from [illegal substances], alcohol and gravity. The first two are easier to avoid

    marymax99 Report

    #25

    Pediatric NP here. Water beads, button battery toys, balloons, always wear a helmet. Never let anyone watch your kid around water— you always watch them yourself or other parent.

    thechelseaedit Report

    #26

    Close-up of hands holding colorful translucent marbles, symbolizing care and attention in healthcare workers' stories. Orbeez are a huge no in my house.

    wildly.eclectic , Heru Dharma Report

    #27

    Leave the house without saying I love you.

    steinpsu Report

    #28

    Person exercising with a green resistance band on an outdoor road, demonstrating healthcare workers' fitness routine. I work in ophthalmology. Exercise bands are a no go.

    k.a.long22 , Gustavo Fring Report

    #29

    My dad (paramedic ) we weren’t allowed to do a lot of things lol. Nothing that goes fast, trampolines, wear a hair tie on my wrist, swim at anyone’s house, no feet on the dash, never drove behind log trucks. The list goes on.

    brittannybauman Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    23 minutes ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I drive behind log trucks all the time. Same goes for most trucks, except bitumen tankers.

    #30

    Social Worker- We will not own a pool ( I need to be present when you go swimming), my house will not be near a pond, No co sleeping, No sleepovers at others houses. No joining youth groups. Alarms on my doors Button Batteries Gone!

    ridethepeacetrain Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    12 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sleepovers are mentioned several times on this threads I want to chuck a question in about them. Does this mean ALL sleepovers or sleepovers at family friends homes?

    #31

    Rule #1. Get a 2nd opinion.

    kafir1003 Report

    #32

    Toddlers eating marshmallows. Impossible to get out of the airway. Ask me how I know.

    jaymiedae Report

    #33

    Purchase united healthcare.

    dozy598 Report

    #34

    Children playing on a trampoline in a backyard, illustrating healthcare workers’ safety concerns for loved ones. My dad worked in the ER, made me promise to never buy my kids a trampoline. I never did.

    robinsimmonsbauguess , freepik Report

    #35

    Work in healthcare.

    jennann513 Report

    #36

    Buy a young driver a fast car…..particularly a male. Just look at the stats if you don’t believe me.

    jude3976 Report

    #37

    Anesthesiologist here - I tell folks not to use a wire brush on their grill.

    caittdaltt:
    The wires can come out of the brush, and you can ingest them when eating and they can get lodged in your throat.

    aarbear21 Report

    #38

    Eat a fruit roll up that's rolled up. Let's just say if a kid gets choked, it's almost impossible to get an airway.

    cbookaddiction Report

    #39

    Upstairs windows stay locked. Always.

    haylie_anderson2020 Report

    #40

    Go to a hospital owned by HCA or ascension. Or any hospital owned by a corporation for that. You are there to be a profit. Nobody cares about you except for your nurse who is overworked and underpaid and certainly has an unsafe patient load.

    natbirdrn Report

    #41

    Trauma nurse here, I’d agree with the donorcycle theme. The quickest, most critical trauma I’ve ever had was a donorcycle down. The pedal took out his abdominal organs and left them on the highway.

    nursecross Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    10 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Perhaps the US should focus on helmets and make them law. Anything else is simply bad luck.

    #42

    Be a full code. For context, my dad is a PA who taught me about code status when I was young. So I’ve been DNR/DNI since I was in my 20s. And then I worked in the ICU and now I try to educate everyone in my life to what being a full code actually means.

    _joeyrae Report

    Cathleen Cummings
    Community Member
    17 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Knows what it means but can't explain the meaning of this post...

    #43

    Be in a car without a seatbelt. And making sure babies are properly strapped in a car seat, many leave the straps too loose.

    depalley Report

    Spencers slave no more
    Community Member
    5 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Kids and car seats in general. Rear facing until ~3 years ish, forward facing with a 3 or 4 point harness and side impact protection. My preferred position for car seats is on the passenger side because there are fewer serious injuries or fatalities in this position.

    #44

    I'm a social worker and I'll say: let teenagers become fully peer centric. They still need their parents and parents have to work at maintaining the connection. Teens aren't grown enough to raise each other and they need the adults in their lives to avoid some pit falls.

    linneajosie Report

    #45

    Be in the hospital alone for any extended period of time. While the staff caring for someone does their best, their is little to no mental stimulation or conversation. Nevermind that the doctor will show up ONCE a day and it may be your only chance to ask questions, understand the plan, etc. No one, even someone alert and cognizant, should be there alone.

    katstie Report

    #46

    When you get your blood drawn for lab work, insist on having the phlebotomist/nurse/tech label it with your name RIGHT THEN AND THERE. You’d be appalled at the unlabeled and mislabeled specimens the lab receives. At best, you have to have your lab work repeated. Worst case: your results are filed under someone else’s name.

    hilarieshea Report

    Lisa T
    Community Member
    56 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When I get blood tests, the labelled full vials have to be sighted by me before I leave, I have to make sure my information on them is correct

    #47

    Make sure you really WANT to be pregnant and raise children.

    mumto2monsters Report

    #48

    NO ELDERLY MEN ON THE DAMN ROOF! Call a roofing company!

    mlesskinner Report

    #49

    Former healthcare worker (music therapist) and current teacher. I don’t put pictures of my kids on social media, ever.

    musicval85 Report

    #50

    I wouldn’t let my 6’4”, brick solid son play football, even when coaches begged. When a college coach said “Son, I will let you walk on and teach you this game and see that you get a scholarship,” my son said: “Sir, you haven’t met my mother. Not gonna’ happen, but thanks.” So many other things, as well, but football spinal injuries are so pointless.

    call_me_kerrin_morris Report

    #51

    Driving while intoxicated or tired.

    kaitlyn🌺 Report

    #52

    Elderly woman sitting on a hospital bed in a healthcare setting, highlighting healthcare workers and patient care. NEVER NEVER put a loved one in a nursing home.

    carlettalucasyahoocom , Jsme MILA Report

    Lisa T
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sometimes you have no choice

    #53

    Pharmacy Tech - let adhd meds be a LAST resort. Especially for your child.

    thesamuraijaxon Report

    #55

    Back surgery unless it’s severe. There’s never just one surgery.

    im_niab Report

    #56

    The scooters.

    kajtheviking Report

    #57

    Grey or silver cars.

    dinajunebuck:
    The color makes it harder to be seen in rain, snow, fog and super bright lighting conditions. Always have headlights on.

    loudel83 Report

    #58

    Cardiac sonographer here - not let parents think sudden cardiac arrest couldn’t happen to their kid just because a doc (or urgent care) signed off on that sports physical. Every kid who has [passed away] from SCA had a sports physical on file.

    feathernwinds Report

    #59

    Do NOT use the hand dryers in the bathrooms.

    dani.dior88 Report

    #60

    Walk barefoot in the airport or airplane.

    zaydad2 Report

    #61

    My daughters was a nurse during Covid and told me if we get Covid never let the hospital put myself or husband on a vent to breath.

    scarlett.buchholz Report

    #62

    I’m not in healthcare but dated a nurse. She came over after a shift crying her eye out. Car wreck. Said a patient was an organ donor and she was instructed to let him fight on his own. He didn’t make it. She Told me to remove organ donor and I did. That was over 10yrs ago.

    partyzover Report

    #63

    Donate their eyes. I’m a big proponent of organ donation and one of my kids donated a kidney. But I’ve warned all of them and their spouses- I’ll haunt them if they ever donate my eyes or theirs!

    riuttapascal Report