Should I Quit or Give up? Glucometer Failure ?

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

why-failing-glucometer.jpg.f0ccb29da6276363e7009309b29a777f.jpg

I'm a second year Nursing student at the end of my 5th clinical rotation with IP next month. The reason why I'm asking this question is because I'm inept when it comes to using a glucometer. The steps to set it up are straightforward and I do them properly which includes scanning the patients armband after logging in using the code, cleaning the patients finger, pricking the finger to draw blood and squeezing the finger to allow a little more blood to come to the surface of the skin. The next step Im completely inept at which is using the strip I either only fill it up half way or if I do fill it the scanner doesn't read. Due to my ineptitude at a simple task should I drop out?

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
17 hours ago, cj_94 said:

Due to my ineptitude at a simple task should I drop out?

At Wrongway we use to use Data Doc glucometers which had a little indentation on the strip where it could just be wiped across the drop of blood and voila! No problem getting a reading.

Wrongway went to a "better" brand, which probably meant it was cheaper, and those things could be a booger to use. The strip had to be perfectly perpendicular to the site in order to get a good specimen. Every now and again, I would bungle it.

CJ, "Anything can be difficult before it becomes easy" and "Practise makes for possible improvement".

So hey- just practise, practise, practise, it may become easy, you may improve and decide to go on with your nursing career!

Good luck!

8
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I don't mean to make light of your situation, but this is just silly. If you're passing nursing school to this point, but you're having trouble with a small task, considering quitting is ridiculous. I don't think you can even fail your clinical rotation for not being able to check a blood sugar, much less have to leave an entire profession. You'll get it with practice. Chances are your best resource for help there is the nursing assistants. If they do the blood sugar checks at your facility, they do hundreds of them and can easily show you the best way. Just ask one of them to give you a hand during your next day at clinical. Just like anything else, tasks will come along and some take a little while to master, you'll be fine.

11
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
21 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

I don't mean to make light of your situation, but this is just silly. 

snowflakey.png.5044acded0957fac7a536ff670117190.png

5
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Nurse here. 5 years. I hate those machines. I’ll beg and plead for anyone to do it for me. But, I’m still a nurse and you will be too someday. I don’t think you need to drop out over it. 

6
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in looking busy.

Practice doing glucose quality checks over and over. Quality checks are typically done twice a day in hospitals. Your clinical classroom should have QC vials you can practice with. 

6
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.

I hate those machines.  I can never get the scanner to work on the patient's armband.

When it comes to failure at those kind of tasks you just have to not give up.   Try to find out what's going wrong and just keep doing it over and over again until you get it right.  Don't be do proud to ask for help.

I missed the first ten patient's I tried to start IV's on and thought I would be a total loser forever and now I'm the one other nurses come to for hard sticks.

 

5
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.

Good morning.

As a nurse faculty, if I failed students or encouraged them to quit nursing school because they were unable to take a glucose reading, I would not have any students left.   There are a million (OK maybe exaggerating here) different glucose monitors.  The facility that hires you will train you AND believe me, you will get a lot of practice doing them.  Another person posted about asking your CNAs or Techs- that is a great idea.  Learn from the those who perform the task regularly. 

Keep on moving forward and good luck!

6
Up Vote Up Vote ×

One of the main things you need to learn as a nurse is, know and use your resources. Have you discussed this with your instructor and your fellow students? Ask the assistants to show you their process.

You will have MUCH bigger problems in the future. If you are ready to throw in the towel over technical difficulties... perhaps nursing is not for you.

Talk to your school counselor.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
22 hours ago, cj_94 said:

Due to my ineptitude at a simple task should I drop out?

Yes, I think probably. You are a very good writer, though. Maybe look for some way to use that skill since you're not good at machines.

[My apologies if this is a serious post].

??

8
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

I've been a nurse almost 30 years and I'm still inept in working all the doodads and attachments on a standard wheelchair. And, transferring a phone call or paging overhead? That causes extreme anxiety and trepidation ?

11
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
1 hour ago, Emergent said:

I've been a nurse almost 30 years and I'm still inept in working all the doodads and attachments on a standard wheelchair. And, transferring a phone call...

My work wife Eleanor had been employed at St.E's, then Wrongway, since 1984-  36 years in the same department and had to ask me the extension numbers to the other units!

Eleanor is one Cracker Jack nurse, but extension numbers were her Achilles heel. 

5
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment