Is it bad that I accidently contaminated pt. urine?

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I contaminated my pt.'s urine specimen. I'm a student, I didn't think about it until AFTER clinical. I thought I was being helpful because pt. stated they had burning while urinating along with frequency. So, I alerted the nurse and I obtained a urine specimen. The patient urinated in a bedside pan but also had a small BM on the toilet paper...I don't know what I was thinking but I collected that urine that was in the bedside pan with the toilet paper in it. I was driving home and I thought OMG why the heck did I collect that urine?! It was completely contaminated. Will it be obvious that a urine specimen was contaminated? I remember looking at the results at the end of the day and it showed >150 WBC, >150 RBC, and +2 bacteria, etc. Could I cause harm to my pt. if the doctor prescribed a med that was un-needed? I feel so awful......What do you all think about this scenario?

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Two issues here. First of all, sometimes specimens are dirty and have to be done again. It's not the end of the world, it happens.

Second issue is that you contaminated the specimen which is also not the end of the world. It happens. Next time you will remember not to do that, and if the issue comes up again, you will know to say, "oh I think that specimen is contaminated, let's do another."

The doctor isn't going to prescribe a med based on a contaminated specimen. No one is going to backtrack and say "what happened to this specimen that it's contaminated! Who did that!" They'll just do it again. Because it happens.

Especially when you're doing a clean catch, sometimes fecal matter or other stuff (i.e. menstrual blood) gets into the sample.

So stop beating yourself up.

The only time it's a big deal is if you have broken your sterile field cathing a patient. Then you've got some problems.

Another point. If you think you've made a mistake, talk to the staff or your clinical instructor immed. Posting about it on a MB just delays appropriate intervention, and you may not necessarily get the right answer. Don't ask here; ask your CI or the charge nurse.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Bet you won't do that again. :)

Relax! You're learning, and, it's a valuable lesson in the "stop and think" department.

Even we veterans have to smack ourselves upside the head from time to time.

Hey, if you need a smack upside the head, I'll be glad to do it for you!

j/k for the sarcasm impaired.

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Hey, if you need a smack upside the head, I'll be glad to do it for you!

j/k for the sarcasm impaired.

Yes, we really do need a sarcasm icon for this site. Any ideas? Anyone?

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Yes, we really do need a sarcasm icon for this site. Any ideas? Anyone?

I have one, but I'll share.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Mistakes happen, but it's admitting them that counts.

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Specializes in Community Health/School Nursing.
Yes, we really do need a sarcasm icon for this site. Any ideas? Anyone?

Just put my face as the icon. That should just about do it!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

i really want to laugh, but im not going to.

Take this as a learning experience and remember, you can always get more pee, and if they dont have the "urge" you can retrieve it from them ;)

Remember you are a student and in to school to learn. This is the great thing about hand-on /clinical experience u learn the stuff the book doesnt tell ya! :)

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