Hi, OK today I gave a patient .5 ml IV Dilaudid push through an existing PIV with compatible solution. I forgot to flush. The patient pointed this out and I immediately did flush (explaining I was really new- maybe I shouldnt have said that, however, apparently the pt (and his family) complained to my preceptor, who then 'took over' the care for him for the day. I was really emabarrased, and later asked her, as well, did they not want me to care for him? She didnt really elaborate, but said she would just do it. IS this a huge, unsafe, med error? I was really perplexed by the intensity of the reaction, I guess.
You picked up on it, and did what you were suppose to do.
I do the overkill thing sometimes; eventhough I know something is compatable,or if no time to look up drug,clamp off line, andI flush for saftey sake uless it is just plain NS running.
Yes your preceptor should have just let you take over anyway, even if the client's were PIA's. We all have to deal with them every day.
When someone asks you how long you have been doing this type of work, I would tell them, "For sometime now, "it is general, but safe, and true; afterall, you have gone through clinicals and many of these things are not the very first time you have done them.
Go in there with a can do attitude, with confidence, and you will go far. You can be green, but showing confidence will help your patients trust you.
I can remember the very 1st time I had to hang blood by myself. I was terrified! I laughed alot with the patient, and kept things as light as possible. I took my time, and tried to keep my patient at ease while I went on with my awkwardness, but at the same time I explained everything I was doing, to help the patient understand, what was going on. When the pump would beep, I told them that was a common thing, and that it was because the blood is thicker than reg. fluid,so sometimes we have to adjust the pump accordingly. They were not scared, and they trusted me because, I explained everything.
I find when I explain something to someone else, it reinforces my feelings that i know what I am doing.
Happy green pastures!!! and good luck...
Nope. Not a med error. If you put it in a compatible soultion that is running, it will circulate into the patient's body. You don't need to flush. You didn't do anything wrong. In the beginning, I didn't elaborate as to how long I had been a nurse. I had been with the same hospital for many years and started the conversation out with that. No one needs to know how long you have been a nurse, but they always ask. I used to round up. Lol...if I was out 6 months, I would say, a year. Just over a year, I would say a year and a half. Lol....I never pretend to know an answer tho. If I don't know, I tell the patient that I will ask a more experienced nurse. Don't ever feel bad for doing that. I utilize more seasoned nurses all the time.
longjourneydream
145 Posts
You did not do anything wrong.
You picked up on it, and did what you were suppose to do.
I do the overkill thing sometimes; eventhough I know something is compatable,or if no time to look up drug,clamp off line, andI flush for saftey sake uless it is just plain NS running.
Yes your preceptor should have just let you take over anyway, even if the client's were PIA's. We all have to deal with them every day.
When someone asks you how long you have been doing this type of work, I would tell them, "For sometime now, "it is general, but safe, and true; afterall, you have gone through clinicals and many of these things are not the very first time you have done them.
Go in there with a can do attitude, with confidence, and you will go far. You can be green, but showing confidence will help your patients trust you.
I can remember the very 1st time I had to hang blood by myself. I was terrified! I laughed alot with the patient, and kept things as light as possible. I took my time, and tried to keep my patient at ease while I went on with my awkwardness, but at the same time I explained everything I was doing, to help the patient understand, what was going on. When the pump would beep, I told them that was a common thing, and that it was because the blood is thicker than reg. fluid,so sometimes we have to adjust the pump accordingly. They were not scared, and they trusted me because, I explained everything.
I find when I explain something to someone else, it reinforces my feelings that i know what I am doing.
Happy green pastures!!! and good luck...