Flunked my test today. I'm so tired.

[cokeforbreakfast]

Hi. I failed my clinical simulation today because I did not ID my mannikin before administering meds. (I get one more try on Friday, then I fail the class.)

I got all freaked out during prep and wanted to run from the room, because I only has 30 minutes and there were like 8 drugs I had to look up that time, and I really had no experience with the "patient" condition (CHF...which I also had to research in that 30 minutes), plus read the chart, check the MAR, etc.

I'm only a month into this and I'm not sure I can do it. I'm great when I have 10 hours to prep. But I don't know that I'll ever be able to think on my feet like real nurses do.

[rhondanruss]

Wow that seems pretty harsh considering you are only one month into the nursing program and for you to begin giving 8 meds seems unreal! Just take your time and focus you will do just fine, and look at the bright side here, I BET YOU WON'T FORGET TO IDENTIFY ANYONE AGAIN!!! I speak from experience, once while giving a screaming toddler his immunizations I forgot to slip the safety lock on one of the needles, I looked up at the CI's face and saw the color drain completely out, I immediately realized my mistake. No on was hurt and yes, I got the speech on safety and you can bet your bottom that hasn't happened since..lol It is a learning process, you will shine like a star!! Good Luck!!

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I've forgotten to ID during sim lab too, don't feel bad :) But like rhondanruss said, you'll most likely never forget to ID again. Even if it's 20 times in as many minutes, you'll keep asking.

Also, you should consider yourself lucky that this happened in sim lab than during an actual clinical. If you're going to make mistakes, the sim labs are the place to do it.

[missjennmb]

I speak from experience, once while giving a screaming toddler his immunizations I forgot to slip the safety lock on one of the needles,

You do child immunizations during clinical? God I hope we don't do that. Just the idea of a student learning to do immunizations on my babies mortifies me. Maybe I'm just not quite into "nurse mode" but I am always thinking of things from the patient perspective, and not from the medical perspective still.

I'd just assumed that prior to doing things on a child, nurses would have lots of experience on eachother/adults, I guess.

[rhondanruss]

Yes we did immunizations, but it wasn't like we were "practicing on them," we did many simulations beforehand and we had to tell the CI before entering the room every site and step, procedure, etc.We have to start somewhere or otherwise we would never get the experience. The shot was given just fine and the baby was not harmed I just set the needle on a tray beside the bed (no where near the child). I just was not use to the flip needles and I didn't flip it so the needle was covered, no harm, but still a HUGE NO NO! If you are in the nursing program you will have to give shots and immunizations it is scary at first but you will soon become a pro, good luck!

[rhondanruss]

Oh, I forgot to say.... we did start out with adults, children was much later in fact Peds is given towards the end of the LPN program so you get the experience before exiting because that is who gives all of the immunizations in clinics. But just a warning, you will definitely be giving shots to all ages, shapes and sizes...get in that nurse mode..haha!!!

[uscstu4lfe]

that's retarded, especially if you're new to it still. anytime i screwed up during a simulation, the instructor would say something like "well, what you're doing is right, but what other important thing are you forgetting??" (or some other clue like that).

the only time the instructor didn't help us out at all was when we had to do code blue simulations, which were totally left to us to do. even then, they said it was a learning experience and we weren't going to be graded as pass/fail. instead, we would be given positive feedback because they want us to know what to do in a code blue situation!

oh, some people in our class failed the IV start class. there were two simulation intructors, 1 OK, 1 ****** and hard. I got the OK one hehe.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I hate SIM!!!!!! There I said it and I screamed it!!!! No matter how 'real' they try to make it, it isn't. My last SIM I had to give cardiac meds IV, no biggie right? Wrong! Never have I had to give any meds IV in a facility where it wasn't needleless. I guess they must have spent all of their funds on the SIM guy, because when I took the time to draw up meds (did fine) and then give them, I was shocked to see it wasn't needleless. I was ready, but was needleless. I was totally lost after that. I had no idea what I was doing. Do I redraw up the meds, because I used needleless? I decided to try to unwrap a needle syrnge and screw that on, didn't fit. I should have figured that. I was so unnerved that I effectively killed him because I couldn't get the meds in.

After that experience, I spoke with the person in charge of the lab and she couldn't beleive it wasn't needleless. She went to the cupboard and brought out the little $1 hub and screwed it on making it correct. She said the SIM instructor must not have felt comfortable asking for the hub!!! Excuse ME!!!! That coupled with the fact that this instructor doesn't actually work in the field. Thanks for the teaching, not.