Learn from my STUPID mistake

[thesundowner]

Yesterday at work, I was taking the blood sugar on a patient and after putting the blood on the strip and waiting the 8 years for our ancient, piece of c r a p glucometer to read the results, it read "error" so I grabbed another strip, reset the glucometer and instead of poking the guy again, attempted to just squeeze out another drop from where I already stabbed his finger - BIG MISTAKE. The blood squirted out directly into my eyeball. I mean, it was a gusher. I had no idea that much blood could come out of a tiny pinprick. So, then I had to do the whole exposed to blood protocol and worry about getting diseases.

So, yeah, don't go squeezin' clotted off fingers and if you do, don't be an IDIOT and point them at your own face.

What stupid mistake have you made that we can all learn from?

[7.5ofPEEP]

Well, there have been many lol. One of the more common ones is hanging a piggyback but not attaching it to the mainline, unclamping it to let in run in only to come back and find a big puddle on the floor, opps. Probably one of the worst was when I was a new nurse. I had been working for about 6 months on a very busy cardiac step-down unit. One of my patients was crashing and in my adrenaline fueled haste while drawing up emergency meds I managed to put a 1.5 inch long blunt fill needle through my hand. :yelclap: Bravo. Moral of that story is...if your patient is crashing, putting a blunt fill needle through your hand is not theraputic for them and earns you a trip to the ER.

[Hygiene Queen]

"what do you mean by take down the old bag before i unspiked it."

-i'm sorry im 1st sem student and I don't know what you're referring to

thanks!

Don't worry... it's something you will probably do yourself, lol!

[222mom222]

I went through all your posts. I'm in tears from laughing so hard. because I've been a nurse for only 4 months and I've already done a few of those booboos. Lol!

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

I spent a good five minutes today trying to figure out why the new bag of fentanyl that I'd just hung on my patient was alarming as occluded. He had six other drips going through various things -- his fent was y-d in with his versed, so I'm changing things around line-wise because sometimes having two drips going together just causes the pump to alarm, then I'm flushing ports because maybe the ports are clogged...etc. Finally, another nurse who had come in with me to help me change my patient is like "Hey, that bag of fentanyl is clamped." Du'oh.

[DF-LPN]

After working on an alzheimers/dementia unit for a few years you'd think I'd now better then to put my face closer to a res, ummmm who got IM ativan for increase anxiety/agitation, because she couldn't hear me all that well. I think that hand print stayed on my face for the whole shift so the rest of the staff could keep giggling at me

Dee

[LC0929, ASN, RN, EMT-B]

There is NEVER a STUPID mistake...........it is all a LEARNING experience...........people BENEFIT from our trial and error, because I GUARANTEE that you will NEVER do the same thing again !!!!!!!!!

[sunrock]

Take the time to enter narcs. In the correct t box especially , esp. Those that have diff. Mg.

[canned_bread]

The worst for me was I went to inject some medication into an IV bag. Somehow didn't get the needle straight/lined up right, and it went through, punctured the bag, and then went into my finger. Blood everywhere! Ruined the medication, the bag, and had a ouchy finger

[sunrock]

These are signs of overworked, overtime, mandatary ot, lack of sleep, understaff.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

well, there have been many lol. one of the more common ones is hanging a piggyback but not attaching it to the mainline, unclamping it to let in run in only to come back and find a big puddle on the floor, opps. probably one of the worst was when i was a new nurse. i had been working for about 6 months on a very busy cardiac step-down unit. one of my patients was crashing and in my adrenaline fueled haste while drawing up emergency meds i managed to put a 1.5 inch long blunt fill needle through my hand. :yelclap: bravo. moral of that story is...if your patient is crashing, putting a blunt fill needle through your hand is not theraputic for them and earns you a trip to the er.

a first year resident shoved a bicarb needle (back when bicarb came with a needle) through my whole hand one time. i didn't feel it -- the adrenalin was high -- until someone said "look at her hand!" i looked at the hand with the needle through it, and something about the wedding ring on that hand looked familiar . . . . and then it hurt really bad.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

the worst for me was i went to inject some medication into an iv bag. somehow didn't get the needle straight/lined up right, and it went through, punctured the bag, and then went into my finger. blood everywhere! ruined the medication, the bag, and had a ouchy finger

i do that at least once a decade.