Forgot to clamp chest tube when changing plurevac - feel so stupid

[Cheisu7]

When I was changing out a patient's chest tube drainage system, I neglected to clamp the end of the tube.

I feel like this is something I should have realized. As soon as someone mentioned how they change one, I immediately thought, "Oh ****, I didn't do that but I should have." I have been a nurse for 11 months. Now I feel like a moron and a bad nurse.

[ash_abee101]

Honestly, I'm a big fan of the term ‘learn from your mistakes'. It's certainly not something you're going to do again, is it. People tend to forget that as efficient as we are, nurses are still human beings at the end of the day. We still make little fumbles, even big fumbles but most of us have this awesome ability to recognise we did something wrong, learn from it then move on. I've been a nurse for over two years and I still make silly mistakes. The other day I was working with a nurse who remembered after two hours she hadn't put our patients inner cannula back in his tracheostomy. It happens! Trust me, you're not a bad nurse and you're not a moron. The fact you recognised your mistake and admitted it makes you a good nurse. Don't let it worry you so :)