I forgot to date and time an iv bag

austin14 · Feb 12, 2011

IV bags are usually only good for 24 hrs so i would assume that whoever notices that there is no date or time will take that one down and put a new one up with it labeled.

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Feb 12, 2011

During clinicals I've only seen meds being dated/timed....with NS or whatever, I've NEVER seen it labeled. I know we're suppose to label it since we're in school, but if a nurse finds it I'm sure your mistake won't even be noticed.

cogath · Feb 12, 2011

None of our bags were labeled but we chart the change of bag in the EMAR so I bet that's how you can tell how long it's been up. ??

Georgiana123 · Feb 12, 2011

i changed it at 10:00am. i forgot because my patient's jackson-pratt drain was leaking all over the place and it just ended up consuming most of my time.

Edit: thank you everyone! you've really relieved and helped me out!:)

anonymousstudent · Feb 12, 2011

Was it on a pump? If so I wouldn't worry.

By gravity? As long as you documented it they can easily figure it out.

bella65 · Feb 12, 2011

We have all made mistakes in clinical, and like others have said, with an IV bag running it is not a big deal. It is easily found by looking at the IV pump. I know how you feel, I am always paranoid about every little thing I think I did wrong. Now if you forgot to unclamp a piggyback with an antibiotic in it, that would be different. Yesterday, somebody in my clinical did that when a patient was septic, and it wasn't caught until two hours later! :eek: I don't label a new iv bag, only piggybacks. In my opininion, you did nothing wrong. I never label the primary bags because if they are continuously running, you just look at the iv pump and know how much they have received or look at the bag. You are fine. Don't sweat it!!:)