crystal777

I agree with the previous post. I feel like the nursing profession is respected. It really depends on where you work as to how family, staff, and doctors treat you. Each hospital has its own culture. I currently work at a hospital that values nurses and will have a nurse of excellent. At my last hospital, I never really felt appreciated. Each doctor is different. If the doctor has experience as a nurse they are so much more likely to listen to you. As far as test results such as X-rays or CT scans, we are not allowed to give any diagnoses. I do sometimes tell my patients this and then I may say that the test did not find anything, but the doctor will have the last. You have to be careful with how to approach some doctors. Some have a big ego and think they know everything!

This blood might have been a little brighter, but it did not alarm me as being different. The patient had been on plavix, so her blood was thinner

I have three years of nursing experience. Over the past 6 months I have been doing IV insertion. I still get anxiety about it. My patient insisted that I put the IV into her antecubital area. I felt a nice fat vein that was superficial. She said that is where they draw blood. I was in without any resistance. I put my transfer device on to draw blood and the blood flowed out so easily and fast. I think I felt a pulsation when drawing blood. I had my fingers above the sight. I thought I was just feeling the bracial artery that was close to the site. The patient had been on plavix. I usually make a mess when I draw blood when I put in an IV like I did this time. The patient did not complain of any pain. Blood did not squirt. It looked the same color as always. I flushed it once and blood went back into the tubing to the point where I clamped it. I flushed it again and it was fine. I asked my charge nurse to look at it and she said that it fine. She said that she felt a pulse beside it so she doesn't think I hit an artery. After I put the IV in, I felt the pulse proximal and a tiny bit to the left. I ran in saline through a pump with no complications. I gave her morphine IV and she immediately felt the effects. How will I know if I ever put an IV in artery. Will there be pain? Will the IV pump beep constantly beep due to the pressure. (The patient's systolic B/P was 143) This really has me worried. I had the patient a couple of more hours and checked on her. The IV was fine with no pain. Good circulation and good radial artery.Please help!! I don't want to worry about this anymore.