Biggest mistake you've made in clinical

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What is the biggest mistake you (not a classmate or a rumor) have made in clinical?

I think it was the second or third week of this past clinical rotation (med-surg 1). I had a very confused patient who was extremely concerned with her medications. When they were coming, what they were. Asking repeated questions. I was super glad to know my meds really well! Anyway, I gave her a heparin shot and all her pills, then put on a Nitroglycerin patch, initialing each one as I went along. Then I opened up the Milk of Magnesia concentrate gave it to her and left the room. Didn't initial it, gave the MAR back to the staff RN. When my CI and I were doing our final check, we saw that I hadn't initialed and asked the RN if she gave it-- she did. So we had to fill out an incident report and all. I felt so stupid and horrible. But you can bet your butt I have been an initialing machine since then! Luckily for me it was only MOM and not something that could havce caused significant damage! I pray that will be the biggest mistake I make in NS!!!!

Anyone else care to share?

In my very first clinical rotation (fundamentals), I was soooo stoked about having a good day without having to be reminded of anything and being totally prepared, I brought my instructor the MAR so that she could sign it before we left off of the unit (she forgot), after she signed it, one of my classmates came out of the lounge where we keep our things with all my stuff. SO I went to help her out and take my things and we started talking and walking off the unit... needless to say I took the MAR with me! I didn't even know until the next day when the RN I worked with the previous day asked me if I'd seen it and I confidently replied NOPE! But just to make sure I kinda looked through my clipboard and saw the dreaded MAR! I could've fainted... but it all worked out! Bet I won't do that again!

ahhh I took the MAR home one time in my first semester as well.. Oh my gosh, I was so panicked when I realized!!

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Specializes in LTC.
ahhh I took the MAR home one time in my first semester as well.. Oh my gosh, I was so panicked when I realized!!

Thank goodness for C.O.W.s ( computers on wheels where we do MAR charting in the computer)... Can't take those homes accidently !

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Specializes in Psych, EMS.

this is the worst mistake so far on the thread but i'll share in hopes that those reading will be careful not to make the same error.

i was in med/surg i..probably about halfway through and i had hung 5 or 6 iv bags. all of the ones i had previously hung had no patient name on the bag.

so i had an ivpb to hang. i checked the bag against the mar, and entered the patient's room.

my clinical instructor watched me hang the bag and quickly took me out of the room before i started the infusion. there was a little sticker on the back of the bag that said another patient's name. it was the exact same medication and dosage and everything though, and it was the first bag i had hung that had a patient name on it, so i just thought there were no patient names on their iv bags.

well she made me file an incident report, talk to the charge nurse, and she gave me a clinical failure for the day. worst of all she was a witch towards me for the rest of the clinical, but that's another story...

so good luck everyone! be careful but not a nervous wreck..i graduate in 2 weeks and am just starting to find the balance between being cautious and confident..

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg.

Wow! These comments are really helpful. I'm glad people are willing to share and enlighten newcomers like myself. I'll be starting NS in August!

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When I found out I got into nursing school I bought the book "How to Survive Clinical". It's a really good book and there is a chapter on common mistakes that students make. There is everything from students forgetting to close the valve on a foley cath to students sticking themselves with needles. It's my favorite chapter in the book and I think it has opened my eyes to what I can expect once I start school...it also makes me very nervous!!!!

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CRRT,.

We all make mistakes, and hopefully they do not cause the patient any harm. Anywhere from little mistakes to big ones, from students all the way up to upper management. They are all teachable mistakes and most can be corrected right away, hopefully removing any possible harm. I have made several, From taking the wrong mar to the wrond patents bedside ( i cout it before ever handing out meds), As a new grad nurse i was entrsted with keeping the running total of I/Os on the CRRT machine as well as trouble shooting the alarm. It was going ok until i realized that my numbers didnt add up at the end of the day, and i had to go back and put each number in again to make them add up...not really detrimental to patients safety, but i had to stay and go back on the machilne to make suer that each hour correlated, and when i finally saw where my mistake happened i fixed it..noone was harmed..it was a teaching/learning experience. Mistakes arent always avoidable, and the best way to deal with them is to admit your mistake, then try to fix it, even if you have to as another coworker to walk you though how to fix it right.

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This is a very good thread. I start my first clinical in the fall and I am excited and nervous. I work in a hospital so I hear of mistakes like needle sticks etc. I hope already being exposed to the healthcare environment will give me a heads up. Good luck everyone and patient safety first!

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I too am starting nursing school later this month, and let me tell you... this is probably the most helpful thread so far as far as clinicals go. I have no idea what to expect and the fact that many of you are willing to share your mistakes and lessons learned gives me a better idea about what is to be expected--therefore making me feel better about what I need to be careful about. I can't thank you enough! Keep the stories coming!

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Specializes in IMCU.

Thanks for this thread.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

I went into a new c-section patient to do her 12-hour post-op assessment.

Nevermind the fact that we hadn't covered that section yet in class or had health assessment at all.

I went in. The woman's fundus was firm, checked lochia, which was very scant, everything else.

Oh yeah...and I need to mention here, that both my instructor and the RN I was assigned to, were both too lazy to go in and check behind me.

The physician walked in. Freaked out over "who" did the assessment...I about turned red in the face, as well as my instructor, because when the instructor went in to check the patient, her fundus was firm alright....and +3 above her umbilicus... 12 hours post c-section.

Turned out this woman had a clot over her cervix that was significantly impairing lochia flow and her cervix had to be opened back up in order to allow some seriously backed-up lochia out.

Physician was LIVID.

I will say my instructor knew she had screwed up...and so did the RN. I told them both I had no idea of what to look for before I walked in there. Neither one of them said anything to me.

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

hahaha I once shot MOM onto the ceiling with a gtube syringe. I think the stain is still there :lol2::lol2:

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I never made any mistakes in clinical, thank God. I was so "on my toes" because we were all given the fear of God put in us that if we made a mistake we would be failed.

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