Being Honest

[HarleyGrandma, RN, EMT-B]

In foley checkoffs today I got ahead of myself and then realized I may have crossed my sterile field. With a sinking feeling in my stomach I stopped, stepped back, and told my instructor what I thought happened. She told me to continue, which I did even though I knew I had just failed. When I finished she looked at me and said, "you did cross the sterile field and you passed because you realized it and you were honest about it". She told me that when I am an RN on the floor there will be no one to check me except myself. Peoples lives will depend on our doing the right thing.

Don't beat yourself!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Kudos to you and your instructor! She's right! And you were absolutely right to be honest. There will be thousands of opportunities to "skate by" with no immediate consequences to yourself, but as long as you're thinking about potential consequences to the patient, you'll do the right thing.

[Emergent, RN]

That's encouraging that there are excellent instructors with common sense! You sound like you'll do well.

[AliNajaCat]

Good on that instructor. I hope that if your classmates hear this story they will take the part about "no one to check you but yourself" to heart and make them more careful, and not as permission to screw up with impunity.

Wanted to "Like" all of the above today but for some reason it's not working. Consider yourselves all "Liked."

[chtzu, BSN, RN]

What an awesome instructor you have there! That's the way to do it. And you're awesome for your honesty. Best of luck to you in the rest of your studies. :)