Took out wrong person's IV

[jess17]

Hello! I haven't posted here in a very long time but I'm on here almost everyday. I'm in my last semester of nursing school and will be graduating in May... I have done very well so far in school and have had no problems in my clinicals, but of course, on my very LAST clinical day I was passing meds, and as I walked out of the patient's room my nurse said "Can you take out her IV for me" so I went back in the room and took out her IV (saline lock)...but then found out she was talking about the patient in the room next to her! She did not specify who so I thought she was talking about the patient who's room I had just walked out of...I feel stupid because I should have made sure myself who she was talking about and thought it through before I just automatically did what she asked. I was embarrassed and felt stupid. I'm posting because I've been worrying about it and wondering if I can get into trouble for something like that? I am about to graduate so I guess I'm just really nervous and worrying about EVERYTHING and I want to make sure I am competent. All my nurse said was "Oh you took out so and so's?? There wasn't an order for that! Well hopefully she'll be discharged today anyway." I said I'm so sorry I thought you were talking about so and so. She didn't seem too concerned but did seem slightly annoyed by it. It was a stupid mistake, but should I be worrying about it as much as I am? Can I possibly get in trouble for mistakenly taking it out without an order? And I want to apply to that hospital AND that floor when I graduate... Thanks so much for any replies

[tlburnsrnbsn]

Hi,

If this was a big deal the nurse would have had you restart it. Trust me, this is no big deal if she said it was no big deal. Being honest about your mistakes is the best advice I can give. Never try to cover it up.

Let it go. You are being way too hard on yourself. Chalk it up to a learning experience. No one is perfect! :)

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

This would be a minor error in real life, and hopefully not too major in school. If I were the nurse, your instructor wouldn't even hear about it. Not covering up, just not worth reporting. Identifying the patient by name is a good idea. I always use two identifiers, such as room number and diagnosis (JK).

I am concerned, though, about your lumbering. You should try not to do that, in the future, as it may frighten some patients. I'm a big guy, at least in girth, so you might imagine I would have a tendency to lumber, and it can happen late in the shift, if I'm very tired. For the most part, though, I have cultivated a sprightly prance, and I highly recommmend you do the same. Some of my coworkers prefer to sashay, which also works. A couple of aides are more inclined to mosey, which is fine, if you can mosey quickly. Of course, you may chose to develop your own unique gait. In any case, I suggest you work on this for at least an hour a day until you pass NCLEX.

[emnicams]

I am concerned, though, about your lumbering. You should try not to do that, in the future, as it may frighten some patients. I'm a big guy, at least in girth, so you might imagine I would have a tendency to lumber, and it can happen late in the shift, if I'm very tired. For the most part, though, I have cultivated a sprightly prance, and I highly recommmend you do the same. Some of my coworkers prefer to sashay, which also works. A couple of aides are more inclined to mosey, which is fine, if you can mosey quickly. Of course, you may chose to develop your own unique gait. In any case, I suggest you work on this for at least an hour a day until you pass NCLEX.

This post should have come with a beverage warning!!!!

[jess17]

Thank you everyone for your constructive criticism and helpful answers, that is why I love this site. And nursemike, I will most definitely work on my "lumbering" gait.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

I'll just add yet another reassuring response that it's really not a big deal. If your instructor brings it up, just be honest and say what you told us here, and be sure to mention the lesson you learned about always clarifying and checking orders. As others said, pts lose IVs all the time whether they get pulled out, clot off, accidentally d/c'd, etc Even arterial lines accidentally come out for one reason or another sometimes and the MD has to replace them. It happens!

[Blackheartednurse]

I dont understand why you didnt vertified with your nurse which patient needed his IV to be taken out?

[jess17]

I dont understand why you didnt vertified with your nurse which patient needed his IV to be taken out?

Well, that is the lesson I've learned in this situation. If you saw in my post I was walking out of a patient's room as my nurse asked me "Can you take her IV out" so I thought she was talking about the patient that I had just walked out from. But she was talking about the patient in the next room (both female patients, and both possibly being discharged that day). She didn't specify but yes I understand it was my mistake in assuming that she was talking about the patient I had just passed meds to. Now if we were standing at the nurse's station and she said "Can you take her IV out for me" of course I would have asked "Which patient are you talking about?" But obviously that was not the circumstance I was in. Lesson learned! I will always verify everything from now on.

[Katie5]

This would be a minor error in real life, and hopefully not too major in school. If I were the nurse, your instructor wouldn't even hear about it. Not covering up, just not worth reporting. Identifying the patient by name is a good idea. I always use two identifiers, such as room number and diagnosis (JK).

I am concerned, though, about your lumbering. You should try not to do that, in the future, as it may frighten some patients. I'm a big guy, at least in girth, so you might imagine I would have a tendency to lumber, and it can happen late in the shift, if I'm very tired. For the most part, though, I have cultivated a sprightly prance, and I highly recommmend you do the same. Some of my coworkers prefer to sashay, which also works. A couple of aides are more inclined to mosey, which is fine, if you can mosey quickly. Of course, you may chose to develop your own unique gait. In any case, I suggest you work on this for at least an hour a day until you pass NCLEX.

I just had a deep belly laughter. :rotfl:. How so very like a guy, from a guy's perspective:)LMBO