Totally screwed up in my clinical

[ZombieMomma]

So I just finished up a CNA course and I had three clinical days. I was working in a nursing home and I helped a lady go back to her room and she said that she needed to go to the restroom before she got back into bed. Simple enough, right? Wrong. I managed to majorly screw up. She said that she could pull her own pants down, and it was obvious that she felt a little uncomfortable with having help so I respected her wishes and let her pull her own pants down. Unfortunately she didn't get them all the way, but I didn't notice in time. Then, as soon as she sat down I noticed a beeping. I thought I might be a pressure alert to let people know if she was getting up without help but then I noticed a box with rubber tubing and a patch that was disconnected from her back. It was a wound vac. Ugh. To make matters worse, the poor lady soiled herself and was even more embarrassed. I felt so horrible. I did the only thing I could and I transferred her back into her wheelchair so that she was safe while I got help from her nurse. I feel like a complete MORON!!! How could I mess up so many things? First of all, I had no idea what a wound vac was or that she had one. Then by "respecting her privacy" I totally tramped all over her dignity and made her feel terrible. I went home and cried for hours. I am so sorry and embarrassed that I messed up. How do I come back from this? Does everyone have these errors in the begining?

[aroundtuitnurse]

OP. relax, this to shall pass. as a charge nurse, when i have students i always ask their instructor what level of care they are capable of. then i give the student report on the resident, if they are alert etc, or if they THINK they are alert, which is sometimes the case. I always prefer that they ask, if they are unsure about something rather than thinking that they know everything, we all learn something everyday, and sometimes, the most valuable things we learn are from the mistakes we made. A wise man once said that if you are not making mistakes, then you are doing NOTHING.

[rawenergy]

wow! this sounds so familiar! I had a "thing" happen my first day of clinicals too. My first day, the morning was going around and getting familiar with where everything was. then practicing blood pressures with a partner. After lunch the teacher said..'ok, go find something to do'!! I was like, ummmmm, what? what to do? i dont know? so after wandering around lost for 15 minutes I asked her for a suggestion. She said 'help with transferring and toileting'. ok! so, i went to the lunch hall and found someone to take back to her room. we got there and shes begging me to let her go to the bathroom..she had a lap restraint on so I asked the cna if its ok and he was like yea, just help her to to the bathroom. My mind was in a fog by now, this was my first time helping someone toilet, she needed help, so I helped. there was no one else there. then she was begging to get into bed...easy enough...i helped her into bed. placed the fall mat, placed bed in low position, call bell within reach. I was overwhelmed, terrified, buuutttttt, helped and succeeded. Sooo...I venture back down to where my class and teacher were and told about my experience. My teacher looked at me..pointed her finger in my face and said "you ever do anything like that again and your written up!!!". Shoot! I forgot about the college rule! NO TRANSFERS WITHOUT INSTRUCTOR OR FACILITY EMPLOYEE PRESENT!!!!! omg, not only had I just seriously screwed up, but my teacher outed me in front of facility employees and class peers. It was the lowest moment. I also left and cried for a couple hours. not knowing if this was right for me. I messed up the first day, but then went on to be the class best student during clinicals. We're new, we make mistakes, were human. We pick ourselves up and move on. Maybe not everyone has this happen in the beginning, but, like us, alot do :) (i hope..lol)