grrrrrrrrrr.........

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Specializes in geri, med/surg, neuro critical care.

:madface: :madface: My dad is in the hospital and is getting IV antibiotics...the cannula became dislodged, so he needed a new IV. This "nurse" (and I use that title loosely with this person) came in and made several errors...first, she chose to restick my dad BELOW the original site...then, she put the tourniquet on and THEN decided that it was time to set up (open her needle packaging, get the tape/tegaderm ready, etc). At this point, I was seething, but I held my tongue...then, she sticks my dad (abbocath was a needleless system) and pulls out the needle with HALF OF THE ABBOCATH STICKING OUT, AND SHE'S TRYING TO FLUSH IT!!!!!!! :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

So, after trying that for a minute, she finally decides (hello!?!) that it's not going to work, and that she needs to restick him. I whispered under my breath "I'll do it"...she must've heard, because she asked if I was a nurse...I said I am...she asked if I wanted to start his IV, and I said "sure", and that my instructor had told me that I was one of the best IV starters in my clinical group. She procedes to insert another IV (again, distal to the other sites) and does get it in this time...only, she doesn't bother flushing the cath/port after insertion, which had blood in it...oh, did I mention that she wasn't wearing gloves during any of this? She ended up getting blood on her hands...talk about stupid. Luckily for her, my dad is "clean", but the next person may not be.

After all was said and done, she was about out the door when she turned around and said "IV starts aren't anything to brag about...I've been a nurse for 27 years". I couldn't believe that she said that...first of all, I didn't think I was bragging, second of all, with all of the errors she made, there's no way I would have imagined her being a nurse for 27 years! I am really PO'd at how unprofessional this person was and I am very tempted to report her.

Thanks for listening, just needed to vent :madface: :madface: :madface:

~Lori

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I actually feel sorry for the nurse here. Hmm. I'm gonna need a minute to digest this one and figure out exactly why. I'll get back to you.

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While in an ideal world you start distal and work your way up, it's not always possible or feasible or even desirable. And I might put the tourniquet on first, too, to give the veins a chance to fill, while I set up. I don't think those two things would have left me seething. If I were concerned, I might have politely asked the nurse her rationale. It sounds like you were looking for things to upset you.

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Specializes in ICU,ER.
After all was said and done, she was about out the door when she turned around and said "IV starts aren't anything to brag about...I've been a nurse for 27 years".

I think this lady should be applauded for her restraint.

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Specializes in geri, med/surg, neuro critical care.
While in an ideal world you start distal and work your way up, it's not always possible or feasible or even desirable. And I might put the tourniquet on first, too, to give the veins a chance to fill, while I set up. I don't think those two things would have left me seething. If I were concerned, I might have politely asked the nurse her rationale. It sounds like you were looking for things to upset you.

I guess I'm just going by things I was taught in school...my dad has very nice veins, and there was no reason why she couldn't have chosen a proximal site. Also, we were taught to get our items ready before applying the tourniquet to decrease the amount of discomfort to the patient.

I wouldn't say that I was looking for things to upset me; it's just that this nurse wasn't very professional to begin with, and when I noticed her sloppy work, my defenses went up. He had another nurse today who was "on the ball", and I felt comfortable that he was in her care.

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Specializes in geri, med/surg, neuro critical care.
I think this lady should be applauded for her restraint.

WHAT?!?!?!?

I guess I don't understand where that's coming from...but, to each his/her own...

~Lori

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Specializes in ICU,ER.

I'm just saying, luv, that you just need to wait until you have been a nurse a while and then have a student/new grad/cousin of an EMT stand over you and wait for you to make a mistake. Back in the day, when I didn't have a lot of experience, it was unnerving....now, it's just annoying.

I am not denying that she did things differently than you were taught...and yes, she should have used gloves.

But you will not do everything "by the book", 100% of the time....and trust me.... you will get to see what it is like on the other side.

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Specializes in geri, med/surg, neuro critical care.
I'm just saying, luv, that you just need to wait until you have been a nurse a while and then have a student/new grad/cousin of an EMT stand over you and wait for you to make a mistake. Back in the day, when I didn't have a lot of experience, it was unnerving....now, it's just annoying.

I am not denying that she did things differently than you were taught...and yes, she should have used gloves.

But you will not do everything "by the book", 100% of the time....and trust me.... you will get to see what it is like on the other side.

Thank you for clarifying...I wasn't literally hovering over her, and I wasn't trying to intimidate her or make her feel bad...perhaps that is how I portrayed the story...she didn't even know I was a nurse until she stuck him the 2nd time...I guess now that I have that education, I'm just more perceptive...I realize that I am much more sensitive to this because the patient is my dad...I just wish that she could've done a few things differently, but I also realize that if that is the way she chooses to practice, there's not much I can do about it. At least he's still alive :wink2:

~Lori

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I set up my stuff after applying the tourniquet also, it takes a little bit for the veins to plump up, especially with the more elderly population. I do the same thing with blood draws as well. As for the angiocath sticking halfway out, perhaps she was planning to float it in? I've had to do that before as well. Some people look as if they have good veins but they roll, are sclerosed or have multiple valves. I hope that you are less criticizing with your preceptors...

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I'm having a little problem with this.....you told her that your instructor saif you were one of the best IV starters in your clinical group....and you wonder why she was offended? Professional-acting or not, I think I would have been offended too. "one of the best in the clinical group" is not a fair comparison to an RN with time. Even people with juicy-looking, garden-hose veins can be difficult starts for various reasons.....something that, with experience, you would know. I'm not saying she was as bad as you say, no way I could know that without being there, but I think you were a little unfair to her.

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Specializes in geri, med/surg, neuro critical care.
I'm having a little problem with this.....you told her that your instructor saif you were one of the best IV starters in your clinical group....and you wonder why she was offended? Professional-acting or not, I think I would have been offended too. "one of the best in the clinical group" is not a fair comparison to an RN with time. Even people with juicy-looking, garden-hose veins can be difficult starts for various reasons.....something that, with experience, you would know. I'm not saying she was as bad as you say, no way I could know that without being there, but I think you were a little unfair to her.

Honestly, I don't know the reasoning behind what I said or why it came out at that moment, because it wasn't really relevant...she got a flash the first time; all I do know is that it was her technique that I didn't care for. FYI, before I was a nursing student, I worked as a phlebotomist, so I *do* have experience.

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FYI, before I was a nursing student, I worked as a phlebotomist, so I *do* have experience.

Uhh....no, you don't. Not trying to start an argument here or pat you on the head to make you go 'way....not my intention at all, but as a former phlebo you have venipuncture experience. Not the same as IV experience. And getting a flash does not mean you're where you need to be, it means you've punctured the vein. You still need to get the cath where it needs to be. I happen to be one of the best at IVs in my facility; today we had a pt who needed 4 tries by 2 nurses to get a line in. All of the first three tries got flashes, only the last one would thread and I had to float it in.

And, BTW, I think the world of phlebos, I've seen some get blood from a wooden stick!

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