I screwed up

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Busy night in the ED, down two RNs, and I screwed up and hung my abx before blood cultures were drawn. I know in the big scheme of things there are a lot worse mistakes that could have been made but I feel like an idiot and had a knot in my stomach the rest of the night.

There is no excuse other than I just didn't check with our lab person first. I've only been in the ED 3 months (Trauma ICU before that) so still learning, but feel like such a dope! Had to get that out!

Did you mention to the nurse you got report from that the cultures should have been drawn before the abx were hung? Yeah when I told the doc I felt like a complete idiot, luckily he didn't dwell on it for the rest of the shift. And yes, thank God, it wasn't something that harmed the pt, but still sucks!

I did. She said 'oops I forgot'. Yes, oops you forgot but I can't draw them now.

I try to anticipate the course of therapy. If it seems they are there for cellulitis or PNE, I draw the blood cultures before the tests even come back... Before they are officially 'ordered'

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
I did. She said 'oops I forgot'. Yes, oops you forgot but I can't draw them now.

I try to anticipate the course of therapy. If it seems they are there for cellulitis or PNE, I draw the blood cultures before the tests even come back... Before they are officially 'ordered'

She forgot but remembered in time to tell you? Yikes. A lot of times we draw labs when we put in the lines but sometimes things just get away from you.

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She forgot but remembered in time to tell you? Yikes. A lot of times we draw labs when we put in the lines but sometimes things just get away from you.

I'm thinking also they were verbal orders taken from admitting doctor because they weren't in when I took over. Either way, it's way over.

Like I posted in the other thread, had an oops with a pregnancy test before an X-ray.. There was that feeling again (even though I just did triage, I didn't have pt or take her to X-ray) I still felt really bad.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
I'm thinking also they were verbal orders taken from admitting doctor because they weren't in when I took over. Either way, it's way over.

Like I posted in the other thread, had an oops with a pregnancy test before an X-ray.. There was that feeling again (even though I just did triage, I didn't have pt or take her to X-ray) I still felt really bad.

Yep nothing worse than that feeling, especially when you only have yourself to blame. Safe to say I had a knot in my stomach the rest of my shift. Good news is that I caught a similar mistake on a different pt. On the admit orders there were culture orders, but on the ED orders just two abx. Luckily I got the lab tech to draw the cultures and was able to start the abx before sending the pt up. Close call on that one, had the abx already made up and hung!

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Specializes in ER.

Don't beat yourself up about it. You are a novice nurse. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

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If we have any reason to believe cultures might be ordered we draw 1 set in a 10cc syringe from the new IV when inserting then draw another set from another site before hanging the abx. If its a stat type of thing I get one of the techs to come draw the 2nd set while I hang the abx.

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