Ahhh crap!

I did something so stupid yesterday during clinical! If I could kick myself I would! Ok...I had this elderly pt that everytime I rolled her, she would poop (diarrhea). I had so much on my mind with not getting in the med room in time (my prof. had to get the meds for me and bring them to me), cleaning this lady up constantly while dealing with her daughter who was there (sweet but a talker), my classmates and prof. right outside the pts. door pressuring me to hurry up so we can all go on break. I'm sorry, but stopping what I'm doing while I'm in the middle of cleaning her up and get her aid to do it is NOT as important as going on break! Anyway...I finally get done and walk out of the room and left the bed up!!! :smackingf So so so stupid!!! Of course my prof. saw it and asked if it was up and instantly I wanted to bang my head against a wall, lol. That's obviously a big no no and I hope it's not held against me regarding my grade. I only blame myself but I feel if I wasn't being badgered about going on break and to hurry up, I would've done things right. :angryfire Anyway, just wanted to vent!

I never put the bed up because I just know I will forget to put it back down!

I don't put it up either b/c I'm afraid I'm going to forget to put it down.

Until the day that I changed a bed and got gently reprimanded by a nurse in the pt's room. She was a sickle-cell nurse, (which was actually kind of neat), but she'd also taught clinical skills at a local school. She said "Put the bed up to your height so you don't kill your back before you graduate!" My partner and I quickly raised the bed (the patient was sitting in a chair at the time).

I could tell stories about clinical experiences. And I've only been doing them for 8 weeks...........

Cheryl

I'm sure you all know why it's better for your back to put the bed up...so I won't scold you, lol. I not only put it up for that reason but I hurt my back as a CNA and not putting the bed up makes my back hurt. Now I'm going to be afraid to put it up, lol.

Yes...we also get in trouble if we do not put the bed up. Proper body mechanics! I am tall so I have to raise the bed. If it makes you feel any better, I did the same thing last semester. Fortunately for me, a kind nurse noticed it before I left the room and never told my teacher. We are human and make mistakes. Colleen

[mb1949]

This is why I never put the bed up, it is an automatic fail in my school, last semester a student left the bed up on the last day of clinical and failed, had to repeat the whole semester.

This is why I never put the bed up, it is an automatic fail in my school, last semester a student left the bed up on the last day of clinical and failed, had to repeat the whole semester.

Wow. I know that putting the bed back down is very important, but everyone makes mistakes at clinical. Especially when you're rushed and having a crazy day.

CrunchyMama, I don't know for sure what the policy at your school is, but I wouldn't beat yourself up too badly. Just remember to check it next time.

I don't know if our school is just laid back or what, but just a few weeks ago I dropped meds on the floor, forgot what a med was for...all right in front of my instructor. And all I got was a "you need to do better on that next week". And I had to be reminded about a siderail once...but I think it was a fellow student who saw that...not sure.

Ohhh I can only imagine how frustrated you were!! What a day you were having, those are the worst!!! It sounds like you handled yourself well and I hope you don't beat yourself up too much!!

Oh and don't you just hate when they rush you out for break, shouldn't they be teaching us that patients come first?!?!

And about raising the bed... Ladies, and gents, bad back probs in your future if you start practicing good body mechanics

Thanks all for your input. I agree with you NSALVADORE...pts. should come 1st, not going on break! I know if I had a depends full of diarrhea, I'd want to be cleaned up right away, not while the student goes to get someone else while he/she goes on break! Annoys me!

Wow. I know that putting the bed back down is very important, but everyone makes mistakes at clinical. Especially when you're rushed and having a crazy day.

CrunchyMama, I don't know for sure what the policy at your school is, but I wouldn't beat yourself up too badly. Just remember to check it next time.

I don't know if our school is just laid back or what, but just a few weeks ago I dropped meds on the floor, forgot what a med was for...all right in front of my instructor. And all I got was a "you need to do better on that next week". And I had to be reminded about a siderail once...but I think it was a fellow student who saw that...not sure.

I messed up giving an injection the first time I gave it. My instructor was really cool- let me do it the next day, and I did much better (I forgot what the med was for too).

The really BIG no-no is if you leave a patient's chart up on the computer. We're allowed to see charts, makes it much easier to give meds- do our paperwork for clinical etc. But if you walk away from the computer, you need to sign out of the pt's chart- and you'll get reprimanded by your clinical instructor if you do so. Even though I've seen DOCTORS and nurses do it all the time

Cheryl

[agldragonRN]

i never put the bed up because i just know i will forget to put it back down!

one of my teachers was very strict with proper body mechanics so not putting the bed up while doing pt care was a no no.

now that i am in the real world, i don't always put the bed up but when you are in school, you have to follow everything they tell you.

[vickyp]

I am super short so leaving the bed up is not a problem I can relate to but what I do want to say is~~~good job for finishing what you started and finshed cleaning her up

[RNMeg]

The worst mistake I ever made in clinical was because I was being badgered into it, too. I was shadowing a nurse during our med/surg rotation before we were checked off on subQ's. I guess this nurse thought she was being nice, but she wanted me to give the insulin injection she had drawn up. She handed it to me, and when I said I couldn't, she just kept saying "just give it! just do it!". I felt like I was holding her up and ruining her schedule, so I did it. So many no-no's! I hadn't seen her blood sugar level, her sliding scale, I hadn't drawn up the med..I felt horrible. I immediately confessed to my clinical instructor, and luckily she was nice about it when she saw how bad I felt, and how I knew exactly why it was a no-no. She just told me to be more assertive with the nurse, and all was okay. Dodged a bullet there

[sethmctenn]

How human of you to make that little mistake! Don't be too hard on yourself. If you are that concientious, you should do just fine!

The bed is supposed to be lowered when the patient is unattended? I am not a healthcare worker, but was an ICU patient in 2003. I would lower the bed when I needed to get out, and then raise it back up after I was back in bed. The nurses never adjusted bed height. I even wished for a digital height display so that I could get it back into the precise position it was in when I was transferred from the ED to the ICU!

As a student, of course, you have to follow instructions. Also, I was alert and oriented, and not a fall risk.

Yes, you're suppose to lower it...if the pt falls out of bed, the closer he/she is to the floor, the less damage can be done. In this particular case, this pt. wasn't moving anytime soon. Anyway....it's a safety issue. Thanks all for your input!

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

I had a guy jump out of the high bed once (he forgot he had no legs) so i rushed to help...

I am glad he was not my pt! phew!