Learn from my STUPID mistake

[thesundowner]

Yesterday at work, I was taking the blood sugar on a patient and after putting the blood on the strip and waiting the 8 years for our ancient, piece of c r a p glucometer to read the results, it read "error" so I grabbed another strip, reset the glucometer and instead of poking the guy again, attempted to just squeeze out another drop from where I already stabbed his finger - BIG MISTAKE. The blood squirted out directly into my eyeball. I mean, it was a gusher. I had no idea that much blood could come out of a tiny pinprick. So, then I had to do the whole exposed to blood protocol and worry about getting diseases.

So, yeah, don't go squeezin' clotted off fingers and if you do, don't be an IDIOT and point them at your own face.

What stupid mistake have you made that we can all learn from?

[Hygiene Queen]

After reading a ga-jillion times here on AN about it...

After be forewarned by my first Med-surg instructor to be mindful of it...

After watching a fellow student do it...

After being a nurse for 6 months now...

I still forgot, in my heated hoo-hah rush, to take down the old bag before I unspiked it.

That... is just...

Stupid.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

too many to count and I have blocked them out so cannot recite them. Wish I was as perfect as my ex-husband.

[Hygiene Queen]

too many to count and I have blocked them out so cannot recite them. Wish I was as perfect as my ex-husband.

They sure are perfect.

That's why they're "exes", right?

[NurseBatzy]

Let the embarrassment begin. I unclamped a Mahurkar to flush it, before I attached the flush. I'll never do that again, the blood spot is still on the ceiling.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

They sure are perfect.

That's why they're "exes", right?

Can you imagine .. the "ex" was also a nurse and the "perfect" nurse.

But, I digressed..To the OP.. I have done a zillion glucometers, would not have imagined that possible. So sorry it happened to you. That blood exposure protocol is a nightmare.

My big boo-boo was taking out a Heplock, it splashed back into my eye. Eye washes or not fun at all!

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

That's why I bought a pair of glasses that were clear and made me look quazi intelligent. They protect you from those squirts and spits without looking like you are deep space expolration with the provided ones.

[GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

many moons ago when i was a staff nurse, even though i knew better in my rush to tend to other patients, after proudly inserting a foley catheter that others couldn't achieved i didn't connect the catheter bag tightly to the tube; when shortly thereafter the pt. called saying that he had soaked the bed:no: in addition, another time i placed a new colostomy bag to a pt. and once again in my rush i forgot to clamp the old one which was totally full securely in order to empty it in the bedpan when it gushed all its contents all over the bed and splashed some on my scrubs therefore, the moral of the story is not to be in a rush, one can only attend to one pt. at a time

[iluvhrts]

Always check the stop-cock on transducers.... loose ones leave a big mess, lots of paperwork and a pt with a much lower crit.

[iamanurse1987]

hehe i was in the same in scenario just a few days. i am lucky that the blood does not squirted into my face..

that is really a learn experience..

[LaughingRN]

Never assume the relation between patient and visitors.

I've put my foot in my mouth one too many times

"Oh you must be the daughter.....oh, wife...sorry"

The worst and last assumption I made was something like confusing who was mother and who was daughter

(don't even ask me how I accomplished this, but the patient was a hard looking thirty....never mind, I was an idiot, still makes my face turn red to remember the awkward silence that followed the correction)

Don't EVER assume family relations.......

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

Don't blurt out, even if you think it's true, when they tell you what they take at home, "that's a LOT of Oxycontin!"