forgot to flush iv

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Im a nursing student. I know that you're always supposed to flush iv before and after iv infusion. Yesterday in clinical, i totally forgot to flush the patient's line before infusing the med. I realized that i made a mistake during the infusion. Now i feel horrible and really guilty. Do you nurses make these stupid mistakes?

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Critical Care/ ED.

:welcome:

We all forget things from time to time. I've certainly had times when I've not flushed a line before giving something. No, we are not perfect although it is important to strive to do our best. One thing you can bank on, you won't forget to do that anytime soon, if ever! Learn from your mistakes and go on. :kiss

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Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.

If that is the only thing you ever forget, consider yourself fortunate.

The flush prior to IV administration is just to verify a patent access; so you don't infuse an irritant into an infiltrated site. The flush AFTER IV admin is the really important one: to ensure all meds are out of the pigtail and angiocath.

It is very important to get yourself a procedure and follow it every time, but quit giving yourself such a hard time about this minor goof.

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

Oh the memories of being a nursing student:) Its not something Id make a habit of but if you forgot once, well i wouldnt worry about it. Seriously, if thats the only mistake you make, well then you are lucky:)

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Im a nursing student. I know that you're always supposed to flush iv before and after iv infusion. Yesterday in clinical, i totally forgot to flush the patient's line before infusing the med. I realized that i made a mistake during the infusion. Now i feel horrible and really guilty. Do you nurses make these stupid mistakes?

Of course we do! The thing is to learn from it. In school, I forgot to clear the air out of the tubing before hooking it up to the pump. My instructor let me start to turn it on, then stopped me et I got a 1 that day for safety issues in clinical. Never did it again. To this day I think of that when I am hanging an IV bag. Everyone makes mistakes!!

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I sure have. I can't tell you how many silly mistakes I've made, though not usually the same one twice, lol. You learn from it and move on!

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I've gotten busy with something and lost track of an IV. The bag finished and the line clotted off before I got back to it. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from it and go on.

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Specializes in NICU.

One time I forgot about an antibiotic on a central line and it clotted off before I could get back. Luckily they had 3 other ports. But now I always put antibiotics on a pump if they are through a central line.

Nobody is perfect. Luckily you can learn from these imperfections.

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Specializes in My first yr. as a LVN!.

As my clinical instructor says; This is why we were in school, to learn from our mistakes... and also if you dont make mistakes then you arent learning ... be proud you are out there doing it ...

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thanks alot everyone. I feel ok now, but i still bugs me out whenever i think about it.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Being bugged is good, keeps you on your toes. Obsessing is bad, knocks your feet right out from under you.

In about 5 years come here and let us know if there have been any other bothersome "forgots."

One forgot I will NEVER forget and am ashamed to mention it kinda.

TPN comes in a HUGE 2000cc bag, lipids added. I had 2 patients who needed theirs started at 8 pm. I put one bag in each jacket pocket. Now 2 liters weigh what 5# each? Ok I get to the first patient's room, can't remember what I did with his bag, so I walk back to the refrigerator, nope not there. I ask my partner has she seen it and she just about rolled on the floor. There I was looking like Hippo-Hannah with 4000cc hanging on my hips and never noticed it. For months people would ask randomly "did you ever find that tpn you were looking for that time?"

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Specializes in Obstetrics & Gynecology,Medical/Surgical.

This just made me realize that the other night in my clinical, I was administering a morphine push to a patient via his peripheral IV with my instructor monitoring me by my side. She is the one who brought me the medication, didn't bring anything to flush with afterwards, and she sure didn't say anything about it, either. She told me good job and promptly left the room. Hmmmmm.....

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