My daughter, who is 18 weeks pregnant, came to visit me a few days ago. She had been sick with nausea and vomiting for several days due to a probable stomach virus that her 3 yr old also had. It became apparent to me that she was becoming dehydrated, so off to the ER we went. After a very long wait, we were finally called back and lytes were done. She was indeed dehydrated and IVs were ordered. The nurse could not get the IV started and my daughter mentioned to the nurse that "mom is an RN" (I wish she hadn't said that!) The nurse then said, "Well, you can start this IV then. We're so busy and I've got so much to do. Just run it in as a bolus and if I'm not back when it's done, just d/c it." WTH????? I didn't know this nurse at all and I was not employed at this hospital. Also, the doc came in to do the exam and never introduced himself (he looked to be in junior high school). I didn't know if he was a PA, NP or what. I asked the nurse who it was and she said "Oh, that's Dr. XXX". The room had not been cleaned previously and there was a towel on the floor to cover an obvious IV antibiotic spill--the smell was overpowering. I don't know whether to say anything or let it go. I don't want to be "one of those" people that gripe, but geez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Moderator's Note: Several posts have been deleted from this thread due to the fact that they quoted an offensive post that has also been deleted. Please don't take this personally.........it is only our way of cleaning things up so that this thread may continue.
I think this event in the ER should be reported. Unfortunately I have seen some similar things in my almost 10 years as a nurse. Rare though. Thank goodness.
I am amazed that any nurse would ask a family member to perform an invasive procedure. :nono: It doesn't matter how busy or difficult the procedure is it's just not ethical to practice on a member of your family and unfair of the nurse to put you in that postion by asking.
It does need reporting otherwise nothing will improve
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I agree.
As a nurse, I've been asked to assist with family members' care, and then there was the do-it-yourself telemetry when I was in the hospital once (the ICU nurses would call my room phone and go "Marla, check your leads---you're flatlining!!":chuckle). But I can't imagine being asked to start an IV or perform some other invasive procedure on a loved one........I'm not a nurse when one of my family is ill, I'm a wife/mother/grandmother/sister, albeit with a little more medical knowledge than the average family member.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
uh, what if you really weren't an rn? or, like me, an rn who's never started an iv? i've had patients who've told me "my mom/cousin/uncle is a nurse/doctor/pharmacist" and it turned out to be untrue, or a bit exagerated. and just because you're an rn doesn't mean you can do all skills, or that you're up to date on them.
that nurse took a lot out of the faith of a patient's statement!
I can see clipping my own lead back on . . . but not starting a family member's IV. Or my own for that matter . . .
Funny - there is another thread that is busy about patients who can't even open their own Splenda packet . . . . and there are posts about families who won't help with patient care. Granted, not about IV's . ..but still. Interesting.
I thought it is a general rule that you should not do injections or start IVs on any family member. I would be very uncomfortable starting a IV on my husband or my son. If I missed the vein I would never hear the end of it
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
It is very inappropriate to practice on family (any nurse knows that), and this nurse was wrong to expect you to do so. If you made a mistake, you would live with the guilt that you harmed your daughter and this nurse cannot guarentee that you would provide safe care because you said you are an RN...how did she REALLY know your prudentials?? You could have been a CNA. Also, because of the emotional side of this being your child, what if you made a mistake on even a basic task that you do every day?? I remember once, I brought my son to the clinic that I work for one of my favorite docs to order a few vaccines. I was not going to give the shots myself, but suddenly, I started remembering the possible side effects and I was bugging the nurse that worked in my clinic about being careful with my 'baby' (he is 21 years old and extremely shy, so, he is still innocent to me). I could not possibly imagine doing something even remotely invasive. I know you were totally peeved!!
:nono: It doesn't matter how busy or difficult the procedure is it's just not ethical to practice on a member of your family and unfair of the nurse to put you in that postion by asking.
SDS_RN, RN
346 Posts
Yes that's what I was responding to but I can't find the post on here now either.
After looking at it that did look confusing.