New equipment...No training...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.

I don't get it....Isn't there a huge liability when a hospital introduces new equipment but doesn't train or explain to anyone how the new equipment works?

My hospital keeps doing this. They have switched to cheaper brands and I can think of one incident in particular that would have been nice to for the patient to have benefitted from the staff knowing more about the equipment.

We used to have these horrible, flemsy rectal tubes. Didn't have a balloon to hold it in place and if it kinked, which it always did, it would come out along with everything else.

So the hospital changed the tubes and didn't tell anyone. I had someone help me put my first one in using the new equipment. We had to read the instructions of course...outside the room so the pt didn't freak out...:rolleyes:

Anyhoo, the new kind has a balloon that you inject 45ml of sterile water into to hold it in place.

So 2 days later, when the pct went to remove it, they didn't deflate the balloon because they didn't know it had one. :rotfl: Yikes! This pt has stage III's all over her bum too. The nurses and pct's working that night didn't know about the balloon.

I think this poor pt went through unnecessary pain...if someone would have just e-mailed the staff letting us know something....along a list of other new equipment that was being introduced. I think that's sad.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICUs, Tele, etc..

Hello, if you're talking about the Zassi BMS, there should have been representatives to come and inservice you guys with it. Also there should be a few resource staff nurse in your unit that knows the protocol for insertion and taping, and other stuff such as flushing, maintenance and things...It's definitely one of the equipments that's not self explanatory and needs teaching for staff. Sorry you had a bad experience...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I heart flexiseal! woohoo!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Most companies have sales people that come in and inservice on new supplies. Ask your manager to contact the company for inservice.

However, if you instilled 45 ml of saline for a balloon, shouldnt there be a port where it was instilled on the tail somewhere? Why do your PCT attempt to manage "new" supplies without asking pertinent questions? Obviously if it had a port to instill,, it Looked different than any they had removed before, so why didnt they come and get someone to ask what that tail was for? Im sure a licensed person would have seen and been able to recognize there was a ballon and remove whatever was in it, or at least check to find out.

Maybe the facility you work at needs to inservice their employees about not attempting to do something they have no idea about.

I'm not excusing the facility for not inservicing, just asking some valuable questions about how your PCT work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.
Most companies have sales people that come in and inservice on new supplies. Ask your manager to contact the company for inservice.

However, if you instilled 45 ml of saline for a balloon, shouldnt there be a port where it was instilled on the tail somewhere? Why do your PCT attempt to manage "new" supplies without asking pertinent questions? Obviously if it had a port to instill,, it Looked different than any they had removed before, so why didnt they come and get someone to ask what that tail was for? Im sure a licensed person would have seen and been able to recognize there was a ballon and remove whatever was in it, or at least check to find out.

Maybe the facility you work at needs to inservice their employees about not attempting to do something they have no idea about.

I'm not excusing the facility for not inservicing, just asking some valuable questions about how your PCT work.

This is true to. I agree. I understand it's not the first time this has happened. The PCT didn't know about the port. I don't think the nurse did either. BIG painful oversight.

The last time I remember having an inservice was when the IVPB bags were changed to powered vials that mix is NS bags. I can see why this was important...but the reactal tube was equally important to learn about. This pt vegalled (sp). She was in the unit within 12 hours after the incident with cardiac arrythmias....related?? Hmmm.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I'm not excusing the facility for not inservicing, just asking some valuable questions about how your PCT work.

I thought this post was terrific. While it is optimal to get inserviced on new equipment, procedures, etc. it is impossible for a hospital to guarantee that 100% of its employees will be thoroughly trained on 100% of all aspects of care and procedural changes. The real world of practice is simply too complex for that. The real world of practice requires continual assessment of the situation and the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions.

In the end, each care-giver has to take responsibility for his/her own actions. If you encounter something that seems different in any way, you have the obligation to investigate it before you make assumptions about the procedure that could be wrong. The PCT in the original post did not do that and used poor judgement.

While the hospital would usually end up paying the financial bill for any lawsuits filed because of such a mistake, the individual employee is the one most at fault for having used poor judgment. That's why hospitals should not continue to employ people who can't be trusted to use good judment on a consistent basis.

llg

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.
I thought this post was terrific. While it is optimal to get inserviced on new equipment, procedures, etc. it is impossible for a hospital to guarantee that 100% of its employees will be thoroughly trained on 100% of all aspects of care and procedural changes. The real world of practice is simply too complex for that. The real world of practice requires continual assessment of the situation and the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions.

In the end, each care-giver has to take responsibility for his/her own actions. If you encounter something that seems different in any way, you have the obligation to investigate it before you make assumptions about the procedure that could be wrong. The PCT in the original post did not do that and used poor judgement.

While the hospital would usually end up paying the financial bill for any lawsuits filed because of such a mistake, the individual employee is the one most at fault for having used poor judgment. That's why hospitals should not continue to employ people who can't be trusted to use good judment on a consistent basis.

llg

Good point. :yeahthat:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment