Please stop! Little things that are just bad practice.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Little things that are just bad practice.

Like looping IV tubing back into itself (against our policy, and they went to great lengths to hand out caps to carry in pockets). And not even cleaning off the port you looped it into!

Disconnecting a running IV to take a pt to the bathroom.. and just leaving the bare end hanging from the pole. Don't interrupt IVFs ! Take the blinking pump with you!

What are yours?

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Could you please share why the first one is bad if you've scrubbed the port?

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Let's see....

Leaving vials of medications (especially cardiac meds or things like heparin) in the patients room and not placed back in the med room

Leaving wrappers all over while the trash can is a foot away or the room in disarray (except in emergency situations)

Turning HR/RR/SpO2 alarms off rather than adjusting to find better parameters for the patient to avoid unecessary alarming

Goading or intentionally antagonizing patients (often OD/ETOH patients because you disagree with their lifestyle/choices)

Leaving the oncoming nurse with an empty IV bag, empty TF container and a patient with a full colostomy bag

Repeatedly "forgetting" to do I/O's so that the next nurse has difficulty in providing the impatient nephrologist with accurate numbers

Disappearing from your unit without reporting off to a manager or co-worker (especially when physicians round or during visiting hours)

Disregarding isolation precautions because it's a pain in the rear to garb/gown up constantly

I'm sure I'll think of more....

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Could you please share why the first one is bad if you've scrubbed the port?

It is policy where I work to also use caps and not loop tubing back into itself although many still do. Decreases the chance of contaminating the line as it has been shown that most of us do not "scrub the hub" effectively....a little swipe of an alcohol pad is not sufficient.

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

Ignoring the date on IV tubing.

If you hang fluids, and then they disconnect for any reason... May it be bathroom, shower, PT... They are no longer "continuous". Your line now is now good for 24 hours vs. 96.

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Ditto. You don't know that the last person who looped the tubing actually swabbed the port unless you were there and watched them. It is a potential infection risk. As is disconnecting the IV tubing for a bathroom run or some other minor thing- every time that connection is broken between your extension set on the IV and the tubing it creates an opening for bacteria/germs or whatever else may be lurking in the hospital setting to enter in the line when reconnected.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

This is not medically related except for the fact that I have found nurse's particularly to be guilty of it repeatedly over the years: Not replacing the empty toilet paper roll on the spindle with a new roll. If I had a dollar for every time I have gone into the nurse's AND patient's bathrooms and found this to be the case, I would be driving a Rolls Royce right now! :eek:

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Specializes in Emergency.

Like looping IV tubing back into itself (against our policy, and they went to great lengths to hand out caps to carry in pockets). And not even cleaning off the port you looped it into!

Disconnecting a running IV to take a pt to the bathroom.. and just leaving the bare end hanging from the pole. Don't interrupt IVFs ! Take the blinking pump with you!

What are yours?

I have pts do this way more than other rns. Quite a few frequent fliers will shut off the fluid, disconnect the line and shuffle off to the bathroom leaving the open end dangling.

I try to teach them but as chico marx said "they no a listen".

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It is policy where I work to also use caps and not loop tubing back into itself although many still do. Decreases the chance of contaminating the line as it has been shown that most of us do not "scrub the hub" effectively....a little swipe of an alcohol pad is not sufficient.

Thanks! I'll avoid it in the future.

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Specializes in ED; Med Surg.
Not replacing the empty toilet paper roll on the spindle with a new roll

I hate this too...but if the TP dispensers weren't locked at my facility I would be happy to change them. We don't have a key but it would be a little awkie to call someone even if we did. And there would have to be a phone in the bathroom. And extra rolls handy. I keep thinking of more "ands" but will stop now.

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Ignoring the date on IV tubing.

If you hang fluids, and then they disconnect for any reason... May it be bathroom, shower, PT... They are no longer "continuous". Your line now is now good for 24 hours vs. 96.

By this standard no line would ever last 4 days.

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* Stop leaving all of the new admit stuff for the next shift. We all get busy, but if you have the chance to get a jump on it.. PLEASE do.

* Don't leave empty IV bags, feedings, full foley bags, suction canisters, etc.

* Please do your I&O's as ordered.. MD's are not too pleased when 12 hours of documentation is missing, and I'm the one who has to deal with it!

* When it's time for report lets get to it (unless you are still doing patient care- I know things come up). If you want to conversate come in earlier or wait till we are through.

* Date EVERYTHING.. med patches, Iv tubing, dressings, feedings, etc. If not I'm throwing it away wasting time and sometimes the patient's money.

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