RN Chaos

Hello everone, I'm just so grateful for everyone's warm advices, support, and help. I will do my best to be a better nurse and forgive myself. I'm still bit angry with myself and worry about my patient. I'm going back today and will check on him for sure. Anyways, it is always great that there are such many compassionate nurses out there trying to help each other. I wish I could be such a nurse someday!!! God bless all of you.

Hi iluvivt Thank you very much for your good words. I have a question if you dont' mind. How many days did it take to develop compartment syndrome??? Was patient okay at the beginning and developed the syndrome later??? When I called my unit, it was about past 12 hours, and he had all good signs, such as a strong wrist pulse, able to squeeze his hand, positive capillary refill less than 3 seconds, and natural skin color when I checked the patient with intern and charge nurse. Can they develop compartment syndrome far later days????? I'm so worried now...

RN ABC: Thank you so much for your kind words, it really made me feel so much better. As soon as I got up from my little nap, I called my colleague and she told me that his arm didn't drop off and everything is fine, which is a huge relief. However I was so disappointed with myself and felt quite depressed for a while. I forced myself to go to a gym and worked out and feel bit better now. I will do my best not to make the same mistak ever again in the future. Plus no more WHITE tourinquet!!!! JBudd: Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! Your warm words and advice helped me to get over it somewhat. I'm still quite mad at myself and will take some time to get over it totally and laugh at it. At least the patient is fine, I called my colleague, and she told me that he is okay. Anyways, I learnt something at least, and I do know that it won't be my last mistake as long as I work as a nurse under acute setting. As your wise word, I will go back and do my best to be the best nurse I can be. Once again, thank you so much.

I had to give a new IV to my patient, but I couldn't get it, so I left. However I forgot to get the tourniquet out from patient's arm, and I found it out 1 hour and 30 minutes later... He was a confused patient, so he couldn't communicate with me. Besides the tourniquet was white, so I probably forgot, because it was underneath the white bed linen and patient's gown. Anyways I got rid of the tourniquet as soon as I found it. His arm was natural normal color, positive capillary refill less than 3 seconds, able to move his arm and squeeze my hand, strong wrist pulse (THANK GOD!!!!!). Intern checked the patient with me, and he told me that the pt would be fine. I filed a incident report and made a nursing note about it. He was complaining of sore arm, and I felt extremely sorry and stupid and almost near to cry. I kinda still wanna cry but too tired and too angry with my self to cry. At least I found it during my shift and didn't leave him on tourniquet longer, and it seems like the patient is fine, but I just feel like I will injure my patients one day seriously and want to quit clinical nursing...