For all the harried nursing students out there, I decided to start a thread in which those of us who've made it through and out into the real world of nursing can share some of our oopsies.
This is intended to be light-hearted and fun... and help the students not to freak out so much over the small and not-so-small stuff that befalls them. Most of us make it through.
I have/had two in mind... the first has slipped from my fatigued, near-50 brain at the moment but the second follows:
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I had a patient who was a subacute EtOH withdrawal... had PO benzos ordered... I went in with my nurse to assess the patient who was doing OK at the time. The nurse, with whom I'd worked a number of times, decided to pull a benzo (probably 5 or 10 mg of Valium but I don't recall) and told me to assess him over the next hour or two and then give the med if he was tremulous or tachycardic.
So, I diligently assessed him and tended to my other tasks. He was stable and never needed the med. As we neared the end of our shift, I went to retrieve the med from my pocket and return it.
Imagine my horror when I found it missing. I emptied every pocket, over and over, as a panic began to set in. Finally, I approached the nurse and confessed my sin. She just looked at me and said, "Don't tell me that" and walked away.
I began to retrace my steps in a feverish but fruitless search for the missing pill, my horror and self-recriminations amplifying with every step. As I wandered hopelessly and repeatedly through room after room, one of my classmates said, "Hey, what's the matter?" I told her. She stood there for a moment, smiled, and said, "Is this it?" as she produced the blister pack with a flourish. "I found it on the floor," she said. I hugged her, snatched it away, and promptly returned it to my relieved nurse (whose perspective I can now completely identify with).
It turns out that it had fallen from my pocket when I had assisted my classmate with ambulating and toileting her patient.
Several lessons to be taken away: (1) Don't hand over controlled meds to students, even mature ones whom you trust, (2) Don't carry controlled meds around in your pocket, and (3) Treat your classmates well... you never know when or how they might bail you out or stab you in the kidney.
In my first clinical rotation in nursing school, I was so excited to be with the "older" term students. I had a brief change with my instructor and the other students gathered around. I like to wipe my patients bottoms so they are very clean and in order to do this, I tend to put my face super close to their buttocks so I can see.
As I was leaning way too close to the ladies bottom, she let out a squirt of feces which landed on my face! With everyone watching.
I couldn't decide whether or not to wipe it off or not because I didn't want everyone to know.
I wiped. They laughed.
Lesson learned! Don't lean close while cleaning bottoms!
I hope you've had an eye exam since then because that is never necessary lol
Thank you--each and every one of you--for posting these! I just finished my first clinical rotation and walked away from several clinical days believing I was the only person who had an "ooopsie" that day (none of my student peers ever let on that anything was less than perfect). Hearing your stories makes me feel as though these mistakes are really just learning in disguise.
Thank you--each and every one of you--for posting these! I just finished my first clinical rotation and walked away from several clinical days believing I was the only person who had an "ooopsie" that day (none of my student peers ever let on that anything was less than perfect). Hearing your stories makes me feel as though these mistakes are really just learning in disguise.
It isn't learning in disguise. It is actual learning. Anyone that comes to you and says they never made a mistake is lying to your face. Everyone screws up, everyone has to learn somehow. This is something I tell my students that shadow me. I want you to screw up because I guarantee you will never do it again. At least you better not.
Take for my worst screw up ever. I overdosed a kid with a potentially lethal medication. You better bet I figured out why it happened and what I could do to never do it again and it hasn't happened since then.
That Guy: Thank you. I came away from a clinical day having messed up the sterile field of a cath kit, subsequently having to discard it and start over--in spite of having practiced the process (literally) dozens of times in the sim lab and doing it right. I felt awful. You are right: every minute and every experience each day is learning. It's one of the reasons I truly love this profession.
Let's see. So many to choose from. My two favorite involve me wearing betadine from inserting a foley. I don't know how I did it, but I got spots all over me. The second one was me trying to get a blood sample from a PICC line. While trying to inject the blood into the tube, I must have hit something weird, because blood splattered everywhere. I guess I'm lucky I have a large chest, because my white scrub top was only red from the chest down.
"Several lessons to be taken away: (1) Don't hand over controlled meds to students, even mature ones whom you trust, (2) Don't carry controlled meds around in your pocket, and (3) Treat your classmates well... you never know when or how they might bail you out or stab you in the kidney."
Yeah, don't carry meds around period! I walked around with a syringe of fentanyl all day after a rapid sequence intubation and only found out at the end of the day when the supervisor was trying to reconcile the narc count. Man, did I get (rightfully) chewed out!
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I have tried to inject GT meds when the line is still clamped. So here I am pushing & pushing wondering why the meds aren't going in until finally they squirt back at me. It has definitely reminded me to check everything to make sure the line is patent.
Embarrassed to admit I did this...I was assigned a pt with multiple tubes, the two that caused my oops were the G-tube and the foley. I administered tylenol, a very red liquid, into the foley cath instead of the feeding tube. No hiding that one as I had to explain why the pts urine was suddenly the color of blood.
That Guy: Thank you. I came away from a clinical day having messed up the sterile field of a cath kit, subsequently having to discard it and start over--in spite of having practiced the process (literally) dozens of times in the sim lab and doing it right. I felt awful. You are right: every minute and every experience each day is learning. It's one of the reasons I truly love this profession.
Don't know if I'm topping this or not, but this also happened to me during a pt catheterization for a urinary bladder medication installation. Started the procedure well but maybe it was the glove powder, but right in the middle of the task, I SNEEZED. Eyeglasses flew off and plopped down right in the middle of the sterile field!!!
I figured my nsg career was over even before it began but my instructor was laughing so hard she had to sit down. The lady pt thought it was hysterical too. Got a new setup and did the subsequent task fine without any further problems.
Don't know if I'm topping this or not, but this also happened to me during a pt catheterization for a urinary bladder medication installation. Started the procedure well but maybe it was the glove powder, but right in the middle of the task, I SNEEZED. Eyeglasses flew off and plopped down right in the middle of the sterile field!!!
I figured my nsg career was over even before it began but my instructor was laughing so hard she had to sit down. The lady pt thought it was hysterical too. Got a new setup and did the subsequent task fine without any further problems.
um yea...last night was straight cathing a patient when my nose began to run and drip uncontrollably. Needless to say I did a lot of snot snorting trying to get the cath in!
Another student was administering a Lovenox injection from one side of the bed, the instructor was on the opposite side of the bed and I was at the foot. After giving the injection, the student engages the safety on the syringe but is holding it at chest level. The remaining liquid shot out and hit our instructor in the face. This was our "dragon lady" instructor and I could see her puffing up to start reaming out the student when the patient calmly says "Hey, you can get some distance with that thing". At which point we all start laughing uncontrollably. Lesson learned....point the syringe at the FLOOR!
richardgecko
151 Posts
I hope you've had an eye exam since then because that is never necessary lol