A emergency room nurse has revealed the surprising everyday things she refuses to do after witnessing a slew of horrific injuries.
Natalie Beeson, a 26-year-old nurse from Florida claims that she would never buy a glass coffee table, keep her knives in the dishwasher sharp side up or cut cucumbers on a handheld mandoline.
The expert, who has spent the past three years of treating gruesome breaks and scrapes, said that one of the leading reasons why people come in the ER is due to bruises and lacerations from a glass coffee table.
A 2020 American Journal of Surgery study found that over 2.5 million glass table injuries are reported in the US every year.
Researchers found that most of the injuries occurred in children under age seven and in young adults in their early 20s.
These injuries were commonly seen in the arms, shoulders and forehead – ranging from minor abrasions to damage to major organs and at times, death.
She also noted that keeping knives in the dishwasher with the blade up can cause deep cuts to the hands, or worse, if someone falls onto them while loading them.
Natalie Beeson, a 26-year-old ER nurse from Florida has revealed the surprising everyday things she refuses to do after witnessing a slew of horrific injuries
Beeson warns against using a handheld mandoline to slice cucumbers or other vegetables
When unloading the dishwasher, someone could accidentally grab the blade instead of the handle, causing a cut from the sharp edge, especially if they are not paying close attention to the job or if the knife is partially obscured by other dishes.
While there are no available statistics on the number of injuries from knives placed in a dishwasher, almost all safety officials and manufacturers agree that knives should be kept blade down in the washer.
Emilio Gonzalez, senior test program leader of Consumer Reports who also tests appliances for safety and performance explained: ‘Put your spoons facing up, forks facing up and knives facing down, so you don’t cut yourself.’
Lastly, Beeson warns against using a handheld mandoline to slice cucumbers or other vegetables.
The kitchen tool is mean to ease the process of chopping, dicing and are great for recipes that require precise slicing, such as scalloped potatoes or coleslaw.
However, the sharp blade can also be very dangerous and can easily cause lacerations on the hand, leading to bleeding, swelling as well as bruising.
As of 2024, an estimated 350,000 Americans head to the emergency department with blade-related injuries every year.
Experts suggest using a cut-resistant glove when operating a mandoline slicer to reduce the risk for injury as it provides an extra layer of protection for your hands.
Additionally, investing in a model with safety features, such as hand guards, can reduce the likelihood of accidents.
She also noted that keeping knives in the dishwasher with the blade up can cause deep cuts to the hands
The nurse’s TikTok soon went viral and had thousands of people sharing their own expert tips to stay safe.
One said: ‘I have had FIGHTS over the knife side needing to always be pointed down for safety. So validating to hear that one.’
Another person said: ‘I will never understand owning any kind of glass table.’
One person added: ‘After working in EMS , I don’t let my kids jump on trampolines anymore. Or ride four wheelers or ATVs.’
She soon shared a list of other things she refuses to do outside of her house including not eating oysters.
Beeson noted that she would never ride a one wheel or a golf cart in fears of ending up with a broken arm.
A onewheel is a self-balancing electric skateboard with a single wheel wherein riders lean forward to speed up and lean back to slow down.
Beeson noted that she would never ride a one wheel or a golf cart in fears of ending up with a broken arm
Similarly to scooters, a onewheel can also lead broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and even death.
These life-altering injuries tend to occur when the skateboard suddenly comes to a halt or does not balance the rider properly.
In 2023, all models of the Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards were recalled worldwide after at least four people died while riding them since 2019.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled 300,000 of the skateboards over serious concerns about safety.
The federal agency noted that all of the deaths had been from head trauma and in at least three of the reports, the riders were not wearing helmets.
Beeson also called standing next to someone while they were fishing on an edge as her ‘biggest nightmare’ and noted that it was something she would never do.
She explained in another video that it is exceedingly common for hooks to get stuck on people – causing deep punctures in the face, scalp, fingers, back, or ears.
Fish hooks can also cause damage to the eyes, arteries, genitals, neck, and even airways.
Medical experts recommend immediately calling 911 if such an incident occurs and to not remove the hook from the body.
While there is little data on the prevalence of fishhook injuries in the US, it is widely estimated to be 500,000 to a million every year.
