An error already

[cmonkey]

I put VS in the wrong chart last night at clinicals. It's the only thing I charted, and I was commenting about how amazing the difference in BP was between the last check and the one I just did, when a nurse came and asked if we had X chart. Sure enough.

And all this while standing next to my CI. I guess I will remember to ALWAYS CHECK THE NAME on the chart, but I hatehatehate learning things this way, especially in front of my teacher. I think that when we start med passes, I'll be all over those checks, though.

How long did it take you to screw up during clinicals?

[caliotter3]

Frankly, I don't remember. I recall my peds instructor commenting that I needed to get with the older kids instead of taking little ones. I wasn't aware that it looked like I was avoiding the older kids. I also got my butt chewed because I was shaken after almost getting into a terrific accident on the freeway and I was stupid enough to ask to have some time to get myself together. If I had a brain in my head, I would have picked up on the fact that this clinical instructor had no love for me.

[gumby1411]

It took me a about a month. I gave a patient morphine and forgot to document that I gave it to him! The nurse that I was working with caught it, thankfully, and entered it into his chart. We're students, we're brand new at this and bound to make a mistake once in a while. It's better to screw up now while we have nurses/instructors looking over our shoulders rather than after we graduate. Trust me, I will NEVER make that mistake again!

[momtojosh]

my first IM injection was a mess!!.....our teacher was filling in for our CI that day and a big guy was being discharged and wanted a pneumonia shot...lucky me got to do it.... i get stuff ready we go into the room,i clean his arm...i go to dart the needle in and hesitate right before contact!....so I push it in...then i couldnt aspirate,instructor did...i give the shot pull it out...and by then i was so gosh darn nervous and all flustered......i threw the needle into the garbage bag on the bed table and all flustered said.."i will get it in a min".....i wiped the area and put a bandaid on it.....talked with the patient...he was so cool about it...i apologized and we laughed about it...in the meantime ididnt see my instructor/teacher walk out....so i go out to the nurses station and she is practically on the floor laughing her butt off!!!....she NEVER got mad at me....she told me about her 1st Im which started with all the nurses telling about their first IMs......mine was NOT the worst either.....needless to say my end the week evaluation was i needed improvement on my IM injections......i will never forget it!!!!

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

Well, you are a student and you are going to make lots of mistakes and that's okay. Instructors know that you are learning. I am not saying you shouldn't be careful, just don't kill yourself over it.

[cmonkey]

I'm not killing, but I may be flogging. I debated coming home and crying but I had too much to do.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Believe me, seasoned nurses continue to make mistakes. We are not robots. The trick is to learn from them and not repeat them.

[decembergrad2011, BSN, RN]

As long as your error isn't in pediatrics or involves pushing potassium, most of them are okay and make for great learning experiences or stories later on.

The first time I attempted a Foley catheter, my instructor was holding open her labia for me and pointed out where I needed to go. Well, I couldn't get it to go at all. The lady was Hispanic with bare minimum English and she was making a lot of noise like she was in pain, so I got worried and stopped. My CI stepped in and tried the same area without luck, so she went a little lower and it went right in! Turns out my CI had made a mistake in pointing out where we needed to go and I had been playing with the lady's privy parts with the foley!!!!!! :lol2: So funny, everyone loved the story in post-conference.

I could name a million "mistakes" that I have made in clinicals that are like this one, and those are the ones that are funny to reflect upon.

The two worst mistakes I've ever made though were 1. a potassium tablet had fallen out of my little med cup while I was checking off meds at the bedside by myself and dietary took the tray (my RN found the med on the tray thank goodness) and 2. when having two patients, I forgot to directly report to my nurse that my one of my patient's respiration rate was a 24. These were more serious and, believe you me, I got tongue lashings for both of them and will not forget the importance of both situations!

[RNCEN]

As long as your error isn't in pediatrics or involves pushing potassium, most of them are okay and make for great learning experiences or stories later on.

The first time I attempted a Foley catheter, my instructor was holding open her labia for me and pointed out where I needed to go. Well, I couldn't get it to go at all. !

I had to read this a few times initially....then I realized you meant "the patient"!!

[momtojosh]

The first time I attempted a Foley catheter, my instructor was holding open her labia for me and pointed out where I needed to go. Well, I couldn't get it to go at all. !I had to read this a few times initially....then I realized you meant "the patient"!!

hahahahahah....that is way to funny!!!!!

[Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN]

I had to read this a few times initially....then I realized you meant "the patient"!!

LOL!

[amybear]

I had an isolation patient so I gowned up then realized i forgot to get something... so I went to the supply room to get what I needed... in my gown!!! I got yelled at by a nurse AND my clinical instructor who happens to be the founder of the LPN program at my school, my advisor, and my teacher in ALL classes, clinical, theory, pharm and nutrition!!! Now I know never to wear a gown in the hallways even if it is clean and hasn't come in contact with a patient yet!!! I was so embarassed!!!!