My vent and What I will learn from it?

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I am starting LVN school next week. I went to the doctors office to tie up my last vaccination. There is a new Medical Assistant,MA, (older woman)being trained by a young MA. The young MA had drawn the vaccination. This was out of my sight. The new MA comes in and give me the shot. One, The new MA would not put the safety device on the needle as she transport to the sharps bin. :eek: It came too close. Also she did not let alcohol dry naturally. Vaccine had burned @ injection. uggh!

I asked for proof of the shot. I run my errands and return home. As I am walking up the steps. I noticed, Immunization Admission Report says www.gardasil.com. ***** I dont believe in this vaccination. I just knew this was a typo. I called the dr's office and left a message .. hey! Ya'll made a mistake!

*ring.. ring* Hello! It's my Dr. I'm thinking, Why is she calling me?

Dr Says: Oh Smiles! I'm so sorry .. we really gave Gardasil. No you could not have gave me Gardasil.. ***** Smiles, we need you to come in to get your chxpox shot.. Are you *bleep bleep bleep * Serious! So I'm going off about the evils of Gardasil. She said I gave my daughter this shot.. My response: So! In the 60's or early 70's Do you remember the drug that it was given to pregnant moms for nausea. It made the daughters sterile. I would not want to do that to a chile. Gardasil is not needed ..

I did not realise Garadasil was 3 shot series. What's happens to me? I only got 1 out of 3. I read,folks were having side effects

I get back to Dr office. Dr is all calm and tries to convince me that I'm ok.. I said Yeah If I turn into the Fly or Zombie.. or dead.. I'm sure I'm ok.. :uhoh3: So i cant convince you that you were not harmed by this shot, she asks.. NO! I said. The Dr also told me that Both MA's were highly skilled. When a vaccine incident is made the whole office feel bad. (I hope this is a rarity) Smiles, I do not think you are harmed by the vaccine.., The Dr says again. Smiles, my most educated patient should not believe everything on the internet or blah blah said the Dr. I looked at her with a death stare.

I'm not paying for the Garasil or chixpox shot. either. My Garasil arm hurt for 2 days. Tylenol was no help.

The new MA comes in.. No apologies..and ask for my arm.. She shows me the vial to prove its chixpox shot , give me the shot and blood is running down my arm from the injection. MA cleans it up. I had to tell her that she is to put on the safety device per transporting it to the sharps. Also, I asked her to let the alcohol to dry before injection. So it would not burn. Why did she blow on my arm? So where is the sterilization again?

I guess I had so too many points.. She finally ask me, Who are you? What are you? I said I'm a patient who has had phlebotomy training and one who reads and writes presidents of medical groups and hospitals .

She says oh!

The young MA was hiding per the checkout patient rep.. :rolleyes:

So I'm looking for a new dr.

What I have learn from this experience?

Yes, Folks are human. BUT, 2 pairs of eyes should have looked at the vial. So, they should have recheck the script.

When a patient comes in questioning a situation. I will not blow her off. If she or he wants to see the needle pulled from a new wrapping.. I will show up.

I will try my best to look at the script twice.

Is there anything else that I should have learned from this experience?

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Specializes in GERIATRICS AND PRISON.

Hello,

I have being giving shots for a long time. Most of the time I draw up in front of patients. I want them to see what is being given. It also allows them to ask questions while I am getting ready.

Send a letter to your doctor letting her know why you no longer need her service. She made an error and should rectify this. It can simple as a heartfelt apology with corrective documentation, but to say oh well you needed it anyhow is wrong. What if worse mistakes were made.

Write a letter to the office, then I would write to other people also. This was not an honest mistake where everyone was horrified, and concerned. They blew you off.

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Hi!

The Dr did says I'm sorry!

You gave me another lesson! Thank you! to draw in front of the pt.

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I would agree with you finding a new doctor. I would also consider legal action if only to rule it out. This is not funny at all and should not be dismissed. You may want to file a complaint even if you don't take legal action.

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Question:

When giving a shot, Is the blood supposed to trickle down your arm? Are you supposed to draw blood from an injection? When I had removed the bandaids. I had a blood spot on one and had a bloody mess on the other.

When I received my chixpox shot 5 weeks ago! I had nothing on the bandaid.

I know this is wrong thinking. I dont think I want a MA to give shots to me again. Usually, MA, PCT or Tech are great in their duties. This one has me shook..

Again, We are all human. I dont expect perfection just respect for your craft and my body or your patient body.

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I wouldn't worry about the blood trickling down, it happens often. I've been fortunate with MAs giving injections or doing phlebotomy. Managed to get people who had good skills. I would be more concerned with the cavalier attitude toward the mistake by both the doctor and her employees. You should be ok. Hope you find a good doctor with more professional employees.

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Hello,

I have being giving shots for a long time. Most of the time I draw up in front of patients. I want them to see what is being given. It also allows them to ask questions while I am getting ready.

Send a letter to your doctor letting her know why you no longer need her service. She made an error and should rectify this. It can simple as a heartfelt apology with corrective documentation, but to say oh well you needed it anyhow is wrong. What if worse mistakes were made.

Write a letter to the office, then I would write to other people also. This was not an honest mistake where everyone was horrified, and concerned. They blew you off.

I'm 40 yrs old. I dont need that mess.

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I wouldn't worry about the blood trickling down, it happens often. I've been fortunate with MAs giving injections or doing phlebotomy. Managed to get people who had good skills. I would be more concerned with the cavalier attitude toward the mistake by both the doctor and her employees. You should be ok. Hope you find a good doctor with more professional employees.
Thank you for answering..

I'll keep in mind what you have said..

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Specializes in Med Surg.

I did a reply once regarding an RN during my clinicals who gave an injection using the blunt she had drawn up the medication with. Some people can give shots, some can't, so the MA drawing blood doesn't concern me nearly as much as the idea of an MD blowing off what is really a med error by her own staff. If I had given the wrong vaccine in the hospital I'd be filling out forms for the next week!

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

Sorry you are going thru this & I would be upset with the mistake too, but I have to ask... When you brought this med error to the Dr's attention what was your expectation of him? He/she did say they were sorry, but I don't know that I see it as they "blew you off". What more could the Dr. have reasonably done - can't take the injection back out of your arm either.

I do agree there is no way you should have to pay for the vaccine.

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I hope something else you learn from this is that you are human, and as a nurse I guarantee you will make worse mistakes than this over the course of your career. I hope you have learned some empathy for others.

The doc apologized, told you everyone in the office felt badly about it, and told you that in her professional opinion you would not be harmed by the vaccine. What more did you want? How will you apologize when you make an error?

Just some food for thought.

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The MD apologized and the office felt bad. Mistakes do happen. It does suck when it is you. Hopefully the MD took this as a learning opportunity for the MA. We really don't know what happened in the background. I'm sure the MD didn't just blow it off due to liability on thier part.

As far as the vaccine you did get. Both my girls have gotten it and there was zero side effects. Being 40 I would not worry about long term effects....combined with the fact that you only had one.

Blood trickling down does happen. So that shouldn't be an issue.

I would write a letter explaining why you are leaving and the facts. The MD can use this as a training tool for the MA. Unfortunately as nurses, techs, MA, etc we have to learn how to give injections. And we usually do it on live people. Sorry you had such a bad experience.

Good luck on school.

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