Easy, dumb, common new grad mistakes

Nurses New Nurse

Published

I'm about to start my first real nursing job, and I know that I will forget things, and make some mistakes. I was hoping to start a thread where people could share some common mistakes they've noticed that new grads make. Or just things to remember, personal stores, etc.

I'd start, but I don't have a clue!

Specializes in Critical Care.

I had coke sitting In a peg for hours and it wouldn't unclog. So I called the attending to notify of my interventions and still no luck. So an hr later she makes rounds and if I see the a DR go in my pt room I always try to follow in. So this pt is mrsa+ and thank god we gown up.

We are hovered over the bed and I go to " show her" just how clogged this peg is by attempting to flush it. Well I had it clamped below and it bulged badly just like before.....except this time it bursted wide open showering me, the attending, the pt, the clean sheets, walls, cabinet and mirror with exploded peg gunk and flat coke.

We had a laugh about it , after I screamed and ummm she agreed for. GI consult to fix the peg.

Urgh.

Tips: -when " playing with/ fixing" a peg, wear a mask!!!

- make sure the clamp is clamped before you withdraw a syringe and unclamped when delivering Rx/ bolus cuz it will back flow/ burst.

Feeding by gravity gets dangerous.....I had a pt cough while the gravity feeding ( how they * tell you* is best practice* and it overflowed all over.

- keep a big towel/ pad to cover the pt and your clean sheets just in case

:-)

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU.

If you are putting crushed meds in water/whatever through an NG, OG, or PEG... for god's sake hold on to the tube and the syringe together! If you just have the syringe sitting in the tube, and the crushed meds clog up the tube and you apply extra pressure to the syringe, the force of the pressure WILL separate the tube and syringe and send the contents of your syringe flying all over yourself and your patient. Just remember that you want the meds to be in the patient's stomach, not all over your scrubs...

0 Votes
Specializes in Cardiac Care.
the force of the pressure WILL separate the tube and syringe and send the contents of your syringe flying all over yourself and your patient.

I JUST did that while filling the balloon on a Foley. I sprayed saline all over my face & the patient. I very quickly reassured him (and myself) that it was just saline and not urine lol. But I learned my lesson :)

0 Votes
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
I JUST did that while filling the balloon on a Foley. I sprayed saline all over my face & the patient.

Please don't use saline to inflate the balloon on a Foley. Use sterile water. If the Foley is in for even a couple of days the salt in the saline will crystallize inside the balloon, making it difficult or perhaps impossible to get it back out. Having had a urethral injury from a Foley myself, I can testify that it's no fun. For a long time.

0 Votes
Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Please don't use saline to inflate the balloon on a Foley. Use sterile water.

Sorry, I meant whatever was in the kit.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment