New nurse made a mistake!

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Hi all,

I've been working as a nurse since July (I graduated in May 07). I started at a small community hospital ICU. I work the 7p to 7a shift and have been doing very well. Just when everything is going so well I was doing a PICC line dressing change and accidentally pulled it out a at least 4 inches (which is a LOT for a central line). The dressing was so saturated with old dried blood that the old dressing was difficult to take off, and I must have pulled it even though I was extremely careful. I immediately cleaned and dressed the site appropriately, told my charge nurse, and called the doctor to obtain a stat chest xray. Then, I gave report to the oncoming nurse who had had the patients the previous day. When I told her what had happened, she looked at me as though I had run over 2 puppydogs. I know that its a big deal, but things happen and it could have happened to anyone, right? Am I wrong to think this way? I did what I could and acted appropriately after the event. Let me know what you think.

"....even though I was extremely careful"

Apparently not careful enough. I would have most likely given you "the look" when you told me that in report. Sorry but a half an inch is a lot- stop pulling and try something else. To have pulled it out 4 or so inches is careless. Live and learn. No one is perfect and I'm sure it won't happen again soon. You did take the appropriate action which means a lot- some would have just tossed on a dressing and hoped no one would notice. By taking responsibility for your error you did the professional thing but "...it could have happened to anyone, right?" It could have happened to anyone who wasn't as careful as they should have been as I'm sure you will be in the future.

Sorry but what world do you work in that mistakes don't happen.....I think you are a definate example of nurses eating their young....Yes this could have happened to anyone....yes you did the right thing to get it fixed. no one is perfect if we were we wouldn't have pts......Sure things happen and it is an inconvenience to the pts but unfortunately **** happens.....keep doing what your doing and learning from your experiences so you can pass it on to other new nurses you come into contact with.

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Specializes in CVICU, Burns, Trauma, BMT, Infection control.

Miss Monica says;This is exactly why so many nurses leave the profession or get burned out early in their career. I cant stand bullies. This person must have forgotten what its like to be new. I agree with the majority of others"

You seem to be inferring(as are others) an awful lot into the "look". A "look" is not eating our young or a hostile work environment,please.

I welcome new nurses and appreciate their enthusiasm but when someone makes a mistake that is often made mostly by newbies in an intensive,stressful work environment you might get a look. If I make a bonehead mistake I pretty much expect the charge or oncoming nurse to give me a look,mostly it's of wry amusement that something so stupid happened to me,maybe it will be of frustration because I've just added to their workload.Sometimes I find out that I've misinterpreted someone's "look" completely,that especially happened to people who work nightsift,they're tired,half thinking of something else and that something in my report gets their attention and they say "What?":eek:

Also I've found that I've been completely misunderstood by others who while they were giving me report and when they asked I was glad they did because I certainly didn't want to give the wrong impression.

We're all on the same team here folks.Relax.:loveya:

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Honest mistake-maybe by having it brought to the attention on your floor there will be attention as to having PICC lines secured in a better way. The hospital I work at no longer uses sutures just for that reason and increased rates of infection- they switched to statlocks. Don't let that one nurse shake your confidence-I don't know a nurse yet who has graduated suma cum laude infallable-perfect, and those who think they have are the dangerous ones.

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Research, Care Coordination.
"....even though I was extremely careful"

Apparently not careful enough. I would have most likely given you "the look" when you told me that in report. Sorry but a half an inch is a lot- stop pulling and try something else. To have pulled it out 4 or so inches is careless. Live and learn. No one is perfect and I'm sure it won't happen again soon. You did take the appropriate action which means a lot- some would have just tossed on a dressing and hoped no one would notice. By taking responsibility for your error you did the professional thing but "...it could have happened to anyone, right?" It could have happened to anyone who wasn't as careful as they should have been as I'm sure you will be in the future.

Sorry Suanna, maybe you missed the part where she said she is a NEW GRAD. Wow, way to make someone feel better.

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Well, look at it like this. We all have had to start somewhere and have made mistakes that we hopefully have learned from. I am not a nurse yet but have had clinical and did okay in but my last one - the one before transitioning. I say I went to clinical with Satan's twin. However, I have learned that people are going to act as if this has never, ever happened to them but is that always true? Heck no! It may not have been your situation but one maybe even more detrimental. I know that this is someone's life and infection is not wanted nor the wrong location but if the person is still breathing and here you move on and chalk it for experience. I had an incident where I did not document something appropriately as a student and this same instructor read my journal (computerized journal) and responded as if I did not care and that was not true. She wanted me to supposedly drench myself about this forever. What I did was move on and go to God for forgiveness and thanking Him that nothing detrimental happened. Sometimes you have to do this because if you keep going back you will stay back and paranoid. What can you do about something that has happened except for what you did - be responsible and bring it to someone's attention. You could have not mentioned it until a problem occurred or the client croaked.

Remember, people are not God and they are not perfect. The next time you change a central line dressing or do anything, be cautious like you were before with more emphasis and concentration. You are new and when we are novices it can be challenging but don't be discouraged. Any nurse can tell you (if they are truthful and not arrogant) that they have done some things accidentally. I respected a young nurse so much when she told me she gave wrong medicines mostly at a time when everything seemed okay because her guard was not up as much. Don't get too relaxed but do calm down.

Another time will come for you to do it better than the first. God has forgiven you so why are you still in imprisonment. He know you did not try to do this or was negligent.

Congratulations. You are where I want to be. That nurse might be jealous of you; new nurse with happiness and bright thoughts - not burned out. AGAIN - MOVE ON.

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Specializes in CVICU, Burns, Trauma, BMT, Infection control.
Well, look at it like this. We all have had to start somewhere and have made mistakes that we hopefully have learned from. I am not a nurse yet but have had clinical and did okay in but my last one - the one before transitioning. I say I went to clinical with Satan's twin. However, I have learned that people are going to act as if this has never, ever happened to them but is that always true? Heck no! It may not have been your situation but one maybe even more detrimental. I know that this is someone's life and infection is not wanted nor the wrong location but if the person is still breathing and here you move on and chalk it for experience. I had an incident where I did not document something appropriately as a student and this same instructor read my journal (computerized journal) and responded as if I did not care and that was not true. She wanted me to supposedly drench myself about this forever. What I did was move on and go to God for forgiveness and thanking Him that nothing detrimental happened. Sometimes you have to do this because if you keep going back you will stay back and paranoid. What can you do about something that has happened except for what you did - be responsible and bring it to someone's attention. You could have not mentioned it until a problem occurred or the client croaked.

Remember, people are not God and they are not perfect. The next time you change a central line dressing or do anything, be cautious like you were before with more emphasis and concentration. You are new and when we are novices it can be challenging but don't be discouraged. Any nurse can tell you (if they are truthful and not arrogant) that they have done some things accidentally. I respected a young nurse so much when she told me she gave wrong medicines mostly at a time when everything seemed okay because her guard was not up as much. Don't get too relaxed but do calm down.

Another time will come for you to do it better than the first. God has forgiven you so why are you still in imprisonment. He know you did not try to do this or was negligent.

Congratulations. You are where I want to be. That nurse might be jealous of you; new nurse with happiness and bright thoughts - not burned out. AGAIN - MOVE ON.

Um no,it's not really about jealousy,it's really not. It's about providing the best care possible and helping people. And yes everyone makes mistakes from newbies on up to very experienced people. I get kind of upset when someone makes a mistake that could've easily been avoided. It's kind of how you feel when a sibling or someone makes a mistake that you were hoping that your advice could help them avoid. You kind of hurt for them too.

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