Dumb things new nurses do....

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Specializes in SICU.

Drew routine labs from a PICC that was STILL infusing TPN..

Got a call from lab with a critical Blood Glucose of 900.

Learned my lesson, turned off TPN, FLUUUUUSHHHHED the line, re-draw labs...:cheers:

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Specializes in Family Medicine.

:cheers:

I did the same thing with heparin. Drew a PTT and got a buzz from the lab reporting a panic high.

Oooopsie.

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Specializes in Gerontology.

Was working in an area with lots of French speaking pts. My French was limited to high school and not very good at that.

Pt c/o "Mal au couer". I didn't want to bother someone for interpretation - wanted to prove I could manage on my own! So I thought " Mal - thats sick/pain - couer (I'm probably spelling it wrong) - that's heart. Heart Pain"

OMG! Chest pain - so I start giving him nitro, taking BP etc. He just keeps saying "Mal au couer" over and over. So I am starting to freak. Then another person who speaks French comes by and he grabs her "Mal au couer" as I'm taking his BP for the millionth time ( still normal, by the way). She looks at me and says "What are you doing?". I said Chest pain -right?.

She tried very hard not to laugh and says "No. Heartburn". I given Maalox - pt feels better, new nurse feels stupid - and learns to always ask for interpretation when not sure!

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Specializes in med/surg, home health.

:eek:As a student I had to give meds to a pt with a peg tube who was being fed at the time. Rather than asking for help I crushed up the meds and dumped them in to the feeding bag. My whole class was brought in to see the example of what happens (clog up tube, everything needs to be changed, start over with meds, etc...:banghead:

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Specializes in PACU.

Treat a BP based off of a NIBP with the connection loose resulting in a very low (and false) reading. Oh well, maybe the ephedrine helped her to lose weight. Oh, and the nurse wasn't new at the time.

I've seen similar lab draw issues. Thankfully I've yet to make that mistake myself.

When switching bags of fluid the new (or old) nurse in a hurry may not remember to invert the old bag before unhooking it.

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When switching bags of fluid the new (or old) nurse in a hurry may not remember to invert the old bag before unhooking it.

D5 1/2NS. Stickiest shower of my life.

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I once un-spiked a bag of NS in a pressure bag without first releasing the pressure - I got instant, explosive rain that lasted about 20 seconds!!! Fortunately the patient was intubated/sedated. I got a lot of laughs when I left the room looking like I had just taken a fully-clothed shower.

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.
Treat a BP based off of a NIBP with the connection loose resulting in a very low (and false) reading. Oh well, maybe the ephedrine helped her to lose weight. Oh, and the nurse wasn't new at the time.

I've seen similar lab draw issues. Thankfully I've yet to make that mistake myself.

When switching bags of fluid the new (or old) nurse in a hurry may not remember to invert the old bag before unhooking it.

Did the same thing with a tube feeding. Squishing down the hallway to get cleaned up with my coworkers laughing...worst walk of shame ever.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Making a pt laugh with a low shutter speed. After changing the sheets 5 times in one hour we all realized making her laugh was a bad idea.

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Specializes in PACU.
I once un-spiked a bag of NS in a pressure bag without first releasing the pressure - I got instant, explosive rain that lasted about 20 seconds!!! Fortunately the patient was intubated/sedated. I got a lot of laughs when I left the room looking like I had just taken a fully-clothed shower.

Hehe, at least it wasn't a full bag of blood. That would look like a scene from a slasher film.

Oh, I have on more than one occasion pulled too hard on the plunger of a syringe while drawing up a drug (often an antiemetic as my patient is retching) only to have it plop out and the drug to splash all over.

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At least once a month I hang a secondary, (antibiotic or whatever) return to a beeping IV to signify it's complete only to find I never unclamped it and the patients got saline from the flush bag. I'll never learn.

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Specializes in CICU.
At least once a month I hang a secondary, (antibiotic or whatever) return to a beeping IV to signify it's complete only to find I never unclamped it and the patients got saline from the flush bag. I'll never learn.

I've done this enough, and inherited enough, that I stand and watch the drips from my secondary after programing the pump... Especially aggravating when it is something that needs to run over 3 or 4 hours, and another pibbyback is waiting in the wings...

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