My first emergency...

i dread my first emergency. you did well!

Well, it finaly happened, the other evening, I had my first nursing emergency where I had to go through my nursing interventions. At 2100, my tech lets me know my DM hemo pt is hypoglycemic. I immediately go in and check them over and decide OJ is just what the nurse ordered for a situation like this. I admin the OJ po (of coorifice via po,) and then let my tech know to recheck at 2130. I figuired that would be it. (Ironically, I forgot to give the dinner dose of insulin because we had a situation with another group of pts freaking out. First time I was ever happy to make a med error. I don't even want to think about how low the numbers would have been if I had given the dinner dose of insulin.)

2120, my tech comes back and tells me the pt's numbers are even lower. (Turns out on the day shift a nurse gave the wrong pt the wrong drugs, hypoglycemics. pt was not to get hypoglycemics, just insulin. An order from another dm pt was transcribed onth the mar.)

Call the MD, get an order for 1 amp of d50 iv now. Go to start injecting the d50, and the IV gets infiltrated. Pt was not an easy stick. I did not get them canulated. I am having the pt drink OJ while we are trying to get a vein. Finally, at 2215, we get a vein. Get my D50 into the pt and then 15 minutes later take the c/s.

Their C/S was a nice and hyperglycemic. We didn't give the HS dose of insulin. Let the hypoglycemics work their way out of the system. As well as decided that a c/s of 325 was good enough for me. I

Didn't leave work until 0100, but my pt was the way I found them, alive. My preceptor came up to me afterwards and just gave me a pat on the back and said that I handled the situation with calmness, some anxiety, but came across as a seasoned professional.

My preceptor started doing my meds for my 5 other pts as I addressed the situation.

And all I am trying to be is the best nurse that I can be. But it felt great to hold it all together has I delt with the situation with a happy ending!!

Adam, RN

Good for you!!! I had a similar an emergency too on tuesday with a patient who went into respiratory distress! What helped was that her pulmonologist had just walked in and all it took was increasing her O2 and giving her something for anxiety!!:) It's weird because you think you don't know what you would do, but when it happens, everything falls into place. Good job to you again!!! I guess it's these situations that give us the confidence boost needed to keep going huh? God Bless...AMARTIN1

Way to go, guys!!

Ironically, I forgot to give the dinner dose of insulin because we had a situation with another group of pts freaking out. First time I was ever happy to make a med error. I don't even want to think about how low the numbers would have been if I had given the dinner dose of insulin.)

what was the pre-dinner blood sugar? did they eat dinner?

congrats on handling it all so well :)

what was the pre-dinner blood sugar? did they eat dinner?

congrats on handling it all so well :)

Their pre-din-din c/s was 98. And they ate a full meal. The cause of the hypoglycemic incident was related to a med error. The previous rn gave the pt glucophage and glipizide. The pt was not suppose to get those two meds.

The previous rn gave the pt glucophage and glipizide. The pt was not suppose to get those two meds

yikes! that explains it!

Their pre-din-din c/s

um, i know that c/s must mean blood sugar, but what are you using c/s to stand for? capillary sugar?

i've never seen that used.

Good job! My first big mess was a chest tube coming lose. Then the Doc pulled it and didnt replace it til morninng, what a mess. I made it through though

That's what nursing is all about! Good job!

Nice job Adam! I like reading stories with happy endings. :)