MeganNCA

Thanks for the response. Like I said, the nurse acted like it was no big deal - "everyone makes mistakes." But the worst possible thoughts came running through my head; for a split second I thought I could have given her oxygen toxicity. Then I realized that was pretty farfetched - the patient was lucid and could have easily removed the cannula. I feel like I'm tripping over my own feet all the time - I'm new to the hospital work environment and a very young nursing student. I know you have to make mistakes in order to learn but a hospital is a very dangerous place to make them! The joys of being a nurse, I suppose.

Hi all, This is my first post on allnurses.com! I'm a nursing student in my third semester of clinical and I work as a CNA on a pulmonary medical/surgical floor. I really like my job, but last night at work I think I made a mistake. I had a patient whom I was assisting onto the commode, and her venturi mask (set at 15 liters) wouldn't reach. She asked me if I would give her the cannula instead. So I unplugged the venturi and replaced it with the cannula. She then asked me to turn down the oxygen flow, as it was burning her nose. Mind you, I had no idea that venturi masks normally have a much higher flow rate. I asked her what she would like it set at, she told me, "ten." I then left her on the commode and gave her the call light so she could get a hold of me when she was through. One of my other patients was calling out for help, so I went to see what he needed. In the meantime, apparently she used her call light to ask for the nurse and was complaining about the oxygen burning her nose because the flow rate was too high. The nurse called the respiratory therapist, and she figured out what the problem was and fixed it. The patient was rather distraught. I was in that other room cleaning up my patient who had a rather large bowel movement in the bed. The nurse then came in to do a dressing change on this man and explained to me what happened. My stomach instantly dropped. This nurse just happens to be one of my favorites to work with and assured me that it was just a mistake, and that these things happen, but I can't seem to stop thinking about it. Has anyone else ever made this mistake?