I had a bad day!

[xokelly2]

Oh boy what a day at clinical! I had a patient recieving antibiotics post op IVPB, he did not have a contiuous flow IV so my insructor and I were preparing to fluch the lock, (with my fancy new carpojet!) We go into the patients room and he was a really nice guy (it was one of those instances where his entire family was there, those always make me nervous) and everything was going okay until we went to start the IV and it screamed OCCLUSION. Long story short, the IV site had to be changed because it had infiltrated out of the vein and into his tissues. He was slightly edemous at his old site. The insturctor tried to change the dressing, she took over for me at this point.) The patients family blamed me because they thing I bent the IV when I was flushing it. Urghh it was just a disaster, everything I did was with my instructor right over my schoulder. The charge nurse came in to prepare a new IV site and she listed thing I have done wrong that would have gotten me written up if I had actually worked there. OH man! I feel so guilty! Like I am incompetent. Then during my post eval. My clinical instructor said that I let patients draw too much info out of me, they only need to know that I am a nursing student from such and such college I should be focusing on what the patient has to say rather then worring about filing my own social void!!?? What? Like I'm someone who only goes to nursing school to talk about myself. Urghh....bad, discouraging day, Now I have my eight week course final and Its one of those lovelies that are worh 45% of your grade, so I have to pass or I will fail out. Oh guys I hope all of you handle bad days better then I do I actually cried in the bathroom. We'll say a little prayer for me...urgh finals.

[Iluvhospice]

(((((Kelly)))))

By reading your post, I can't tell what you did wrong... if anything. I hope that you don't let this situation get the best of you. Having a good rapport with the patient always makes things easier, I've found. I had an ER situation with an IV that had me in tears all day on Friday (after clinicals were over.) You are NOT alone.

Soldier on, my fellow nursing student... Someday it'll all make sense!

Sarah

[sabRN2b05, BSN, RN]

I'm no expert, but sometimes veins just blow and there's not a d**n thing you can do about it. Just chalk it up to a bad day and focus on your next clinical. :) It's happened to all of us (or it will!!)