Feeling very discouraged after clinicals.. "critical incident"

EricaSAFJAF · Jun 1, 2012

I was written up and received a critical incident in my third semester..I was preparing to change the dressing on a pt's central line...hospital polocy said to remove with one pair of sterile gloves, remove, don new sterile gloves and clean and apply new dressing...well after I removed my first pair of gloves, my teacher instructed me to untie his gown to have a better view of the area, so I did just that...problem was he was on contact for MRSA of the nares and she wrote me up for not wearing gloves when untying his gown... I wouldn't sweat it. I just graduated and have an interview Monday. Nursing school is supposed to be about the learningexperience, we all make mistakes and they do not define us...

abiklags · Jun 1, 2012

a First level student had a similar incident when i was in my second level. he had gone into the pt's room just to have a peek at the pt and then he stepped out without washing his hands, because he didnt touch anything. the head of the ID dep. of the hospital was right outside that particular room right as he stepped out and spoke to the student. the head of ID wasnt finished and emailed all the higher-up's of the school-the dean, assistant deans etc. basically made a big deal of it

to rectify, the student made posters that said "you are about the enter the thresh hold" and "you have now crossed the thresh hold. you will be seeing from me."

the first was at the outer doors to the hallway and the second was at doors to some more common areas. a week after hanging up the signs, he came to all classes and said over his experience. basically, wash your hands no matter what, even if you have not touched anything.

as far as i know, hes moving up to the next level in sept. i think you will be fine. learn from the mistake and you will excel

Isabellah · Jun 1, 2012

I agree that you must learn from your mistake and move on. If you continue to focus on the negative, it will make your nursing school experience dreadful and cause you to become burned out real quick. And washing hands is critical. Nosocomial infections are increasing in hospitals. Remember washing our hands prevents the spread of organisms especially to ill patients. I wish you the best in your endeavors.

Stephalump · Jun 1, 2012

I've always had good grades and have never had any problems at clinicals. Just recently did a rotation and was written up for stepping out of the patients room without washing my hands. I just finished my second term and have two left, and only three write ups are permitted. I am so distraught, and feel very discouraged now. I never received a school handbook with the "critical incidences" in it but assumed it would be for things that could truly be dangerous like leaving a bed in high position, drawing up the wrong dose of insulin, etc. etc. Please help! I don't know what to do with myself. This is my dream job & Im a mess right now

Ugh, I'm sorry :/. I know stuff like that can be stressful...I definitely don't deal well with it.

However, you're in NS to learn. Some lessons are tough, some are easy. Consider this a "tough" lesson -wash your hands. I bet you won't forget again :)

And cheer up! 2 outta 3 ain't bad!

Maverick01 · Jun 1, 2012

Thanks for all the quick responses! After thinking about it I kind of understand why she gave me the critical, I understand nosocomials are a big problem & Im typically a freak when it comes to hand washing.. I guess the first day with a brand new instructor intimidated me more than I realized. I can't beat myself up over something so little and stupid. The only time I heard of someone getting a critical in my school was when a student didn't deflate the balloon & was going to d/c a foley. Thank god for instructors eh? just hoping this instructor isn't out to get me!! Good luck to everyone & may you never have to experience anything like this along your journey

FORTHELOVEOF!!!! · Jun 2, 2012

I never have time to wash my hands every time I leave a patients room, they let us use the alcohol outside the doors unless we have visually dirty hands, it's a lifesaver!

evolvingrn, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2012

well i bet you won't forget that again. this kind of stuff doesn't end after nursing school . We get audited for lots of things, hand washing, scanning rates, rounding, documentation ect........and our results get posted for all to see. the first time I got an audit 'lecture' note i was horrified. ....but you know what.......it worked i have made a conscientious effort to make sure I do it by the book. Don't sweat it. hand hygiene rates is something like 35 percent in hospitals.....that is unacceptable . which is why you are seeing people like instructors making it a big issue.

BaltimoreHon, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2012

Don't let it discourage you. I would say that most nursing students I have known have been written up at least once for something. Some instructors like to write you up for little mistakes, others just point it out and let it go and only write you up for the big ones (to me handwashing is a biggee). What you need to remember is that you are new and you are green and you should take your write up as a learning opportunity. Just brush it off and move on. Also, I can assure you that most likely you will never forget to wash your hands again!

sauconyrunner · Jun 2, 2012

Do not be discouraged, but not doing any kind of hand hygiene is a HUGE thing. I am the infection prevention nurse at my hospital, and I write up nurses frequently for such behavior. So I want you to understand that it is not just you, or your instructor, or the fact that you are in school. That write up will continue to occur as you become a nurse, if you can't remember.

The problem with handwashing is that we forget to do it, and then 4-5 days later a patient gets phlebitis, or C-diff, or MRSA (Hospital acquired)...and we don't know where it came from, so everyone just kind of starts pointing fingers at everyone else. So you think it doesn't matter.

So...Don't be discouraged, you are in school to learn. (I got written up in school on a day when our clinical instructor changed and had a thing about hair. Mine was down- which had been OK with the previous instructor, but not with the new one..ahh well. I survived.) I want to tell you that all will be ok, but I am alarmed that you think forgetting to wash your hands is not really that important. You would not do very well as a nurse in my hospital with that attitude.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Jun 2, 2012

Oh well. Move on.

My clinical instructor got me for not washing my hands (or using foam sanitizer) before entering a room once. The thing is, I KNEW I had used the foam.

In fact, at the time we were entering the room, I noticed the instructor had not foamed her hands. I didn't say anything because this instructor was new and a complete horror story freakshow.

I figured out what happened. The rooms in the hospital we were at all have two foam sanitizers. One just outside the room and one just inside the door. I used the one outside the door while my instructor used the one just inside the door. Neither of us saw the other do the foam thing.

I later found out the instructor had to leave her previous job because she was banging her coworker's husband.