Dumb things new nurses do....

Published

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:

I did this a few weeks ago: It was that long vile of morphine and to withdraw it into my syringe I thought "well I'll push in some air first like with the insulin vials, that way the vacuum is released. The bottom of the morphine vial popped off and hit my poor preceptor in the face just barely missing her eye! I was so mortified and terrified I just looked at her with my mouth wide open and could not utter a sound, and she began laughing uncontrollably and what a relief!!!! We both laughed so hard and I felt so stupid and inadequate but my preceptor is so kind and understanding! Thank goodness for her forgiving nature!

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Specializes in med/surg, home health.

Another one as a student: Couldn't get a blood pressure reading on a pt. Got my instructor.

ME: " I can't get a reading, I've tried everything"

INSTRUCTOR checking pt.) "you can't get a reading because he's expired"

Me: "HUH?"

INSTRUCTOR: "he's DEAD!!"

ME: "oh"

:banghead::madface:

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
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.

I did the blood bag, once:bugeyes: just once.....(smacking forehead)...I haven't lived it down to this very day.......:lol2:

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I have been on break from school since before Thanksgiving. Today is my first day back to clinicals since before the break. This was a great thread to read today! Thanks everyone!

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And this thread, my friends, is why I always keep a spare set of scrubs AND shoes in the car. I had a saline shower once, and another time there was a major "code brown"Me and the nurse ( I was still a tech at the time) were asked to help another nurse roll a morbidly obese patient over to help get her on the bed pan. When we rolled her she let loose, 3 of us needed to go change.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

I have done the not shutting off TPN thing. My critical wasn't 900, but like 500. When I came back that evening I had the same round of pts. The nurse I got report from started with "They wanted me to pass on to you....turn off the TPN." We all had a good laugh.

I can also relate to some of the other posts. It's funny how we all make the same mistakes.

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if you dont crush meds and put them in a peg tube because the tube will clog, then how do you do it?

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Specializes in ED.
if you dont crush meds and put them in a peg tube because the tube will clog, then how do you do it?

Flush, med, flush, med, flush, etc.

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Specializes in NICU.

Since I was in a hurry to run fresh frozen plasma before my fifteen minutes was up, I didn't realize the syringe it was in was a different kind of syringe then we have on the unit. If the pump isnt set for the monojet it will refuse to recognize the loaded syringe. So I ran around the unit and tried to load it into three different pumps to no avail to realize I was using the wrong mode! I felt like a genius !

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Specializes in ICU.

On new grad orientation, was trying to draw mucomyst up out of the vial into the syringe, so of course I instilled the amt of air that correlated with how much of the drug I was drawing up. It was taking a LOT of pressure to get that air in, but I finally did it and then BOOM!- the mucomyst literally explodes out of the top of the vial and all. over. me. I smelled like rotten eggs. Even after changing scrubs and mini-washing up. All day. And of course this happened before 0800 med pass. Argh.

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I wasn't new, but I was in a hurry. I was alone trying to put an NG tube in my pt, who was so sweet, and thankfully very cooperative. In my rush I forgot to clamp the end of the tube. I got a bath in NG contents (there was a lot in there) until help happened to walk by and see.

I've certainly spilled saline all over me. I've done the IVPB thing too many times to count. I've also fallen in front of a few patients over the years. It's funny, and embarrassing, that they become more worried about me and my bummed knee than themselves.

I'm sure I've done many, many more things, and will continue to do more no matter how experienced I get.

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I was discharging a patient and the only thing we were waiting on was his glucometer to arrive (new diabetic). Well when it arrived I went to teach him how to use it and not everything was in the kit. So he handed me the paperwork and I dialed what I thought was the number to the company to request they drop off the rest of the kit. Well I call the number and explain the situation and the guy on the phone is confused, so he hands the phone to a woman, i look up and I'm talking to my patient and his wife. I called their phone number not the company. We all had a good laugh anyway.

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