Was told to consider not being a nurse?

[rainbow09]

I'm a nursing student in my first semester and I'm at a LTC facility for clinical. About two weeks ago I was following a nurse by myself and I offered to help her as much as I possibly could. Later that day she let me do accuchecks and one patient needed insulin. We were told that we would have to be checked off by our instructor first and then we could give insulin with a nurse observing. This was my second time giving insulin. What happened was that I accidentally pricked myself with the needle when I was getting ready to inject it while I pinched the skin with my other hand. Before, I gave insulin in the back of the arm and I was told not to pinch the skin but this time I was giving it in the abdomen. I froze when it happened - I honestly didn't know what to do in that moment because I was so in shock. The nurse must not have been observant because she urged me to give it when I hesitated and in that moment I did. To only freak out right after. I immediately told the nurse what happened but I had already given it and I felt so stupid and was so mad at myself. Then my finger started bleeding a bit too which it didn't before right when I must have pricked it. I was devastated but the nurse told me to not tell anyone because she didn't want to file an incident report and she said the patient would be just fine. I immediately told my clinical instructor what happened and she was very sweet and said mistakes happen and we're just human but that she would have to tell my nursing instructor too (of my first semester of nursing school).

My instructor asked me what happened a few days later and I explained everything and told her that I was really sorry and felt incredibly stupid. She was extremely disappointed and said that they teach us to think critically for a reason and if I'm not confident and able enough to make decisions for myself and think critically then I should consider dropping out of nursing school. I have cried so many times after this happened and I really do feel incredibly stupid because it's common sense and I shouldn't have panicked and still given the injection but I never found myself in a situation like this before. I really thought my patient would die but he will be just fine. After what my instructor said to me though and the tone in which she said it makes me believe that I will never be a good nurse and now I'm at a point where I am doubting myself even more. I don't know what to do because I really want to help people but I don't want to endanger their lives.

[caliotter3]

The instructor took that tone with you because she was trying to get through to you. She does not want to see you fail or quit. It is up to you to think about this rationally and take the proper steps to keep this mistake or something similar from happening again. Nobody expects you to be perfect but they do expect you to learn from your mistakes and to grow in your performance.

[OscarTheOwl]

Although no one has ever suggested I not continue in nursing, I've made some whopper mistakes. First nursing job had a very sick patient. Didn't check drug compatibility and the entire line precipitated in front of my eyes. Thought my patient was gonna die, thought I was gonna die, thankfully we were both just fine.

Dropped my first THREE NGT's in the lung. Thought wow I can't even complete a simple task.

Most mistakes I made in the beginning of my career made me feel like I wasn't cut out to bag groceries, you just got to keep moving forward. I promise these bumps in the road are valuable experiences.

[Davey Do]

Doesn't it just singe your shorts when a member drops a bomb into your lap, you respond with giving your empathy, knowledge and time and you never hear from them again?

What becomes of the broken-hearted?

During my third semester, I was in med/surg clinicals. One day I had some heavy duty patients with IV"s and all sorts of care and treatment and did one hellava bang up job. I felt great ​about the job I did!

The next day, I had two patients that were easy greasy. Both were on po meds and one was being discharged. I was to administer the am meds and got the patients switched. OOPS!

​Luckily, the two patients' meds were almost identical, so no harm came to either patient. I had to confer with both the MD and the instructor. The doctor was kind and understanding. The instructor put me on probation, which I understood: It could have been a big deal.

The incident took some wind out of my sails, but I went on to complete the program with honors; to become an RN and make more mistakes.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

Hmph. I wish someone would have told me I wasn't cut out for this stuff back then. I wouldnt have wasted my time.Ahh, hindsight.

But so I am helpful to OP, Slow Down.........You are panicking. That can make you make mistakes.

Stop, evaluate what you are doing. You should not be pressured by others.

Take that opportuninty to read many articles on safe medication administration - injections.

use it to learn from your mistakes.

Good luck.Breathe.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

When you are in clinicals, you are working under another nurse's license. Not one, but two nurses brushed off the incident as nothing. And the third is telling you to drop out?? If anything, the two senior nurses should be held accountable. If they want you out of the program, they need to fail you, not tell you to drop out, that's ridiculous. But as a student nurse, I was also at the mercy of the nastiest people who never made me doubt myself or cry so much in my life.

Honestly, you should have been taught several times about bloodborne pathogens, and if you were aware you pricked yourself, you should not have given the injection. Unless you had a very virulent communicable disease, which I'm sure you'd be aware of, a fine insulin needle is unlikely to transfer it to the patient. In any case, I'm sure the patient is fine.

One of the the biggest myths out there. Nobody works under another person's license.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

One of the the biggest myths out there. Nobody works under another person's license.

You sure about that?

You are responsible for whatever you delegate to a tech. They mess up- it does go on you.

Same with a student- If they are being overseen by you- that's your responsibility. Whatever they do does go under you.

for example- tech- I and o's. If they didnt record them and doc wants it- I am responsible. Even if I didnt empty any commodes or urinals. I may not lose my license over that per se, but I sure will be bearing the wrath of the doc- the tech wont be.

Id say the nurse overseeing the injection is responsible to ensure the safety/appropriate med as if she/he was giving it themselves.

Which is why in this current climate I hate having students.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

You are responsible for whatever you delegate to a tech. They mess up- it does go on you.

I agree. My former nurse manager's licensure was revoked by the board of nursing due to inappropriate delegation and failure to formulate a plan of care when pressure ulcers were becoming a problematic issue.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

With nursing, it is a marathon, not a race. What I mean is there will be times that you have to rush but in order to when the race, you must think critically and with an attitude of longevity in your career. Whenever you handle a needle, handle it like it is your life on the line, because in some ways it is.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

Never berate yourself/or your nursing abilities in front of a professor/clinical instructor/manager/other nurse etc. It will come back to haunt you. Tell your professor what happened but do not attach emotion to your statement. Just give the facts.

Also, you got stuck with a needle but this was before the needle touched the patient's skin. If that was me, I would rinse off my finger and move on. Sure I would tell my clinical instructor but wouldn't even think about an incident report unless of course it was some harmful med that I got stuck with.

Nobody has any right to tell you as a first semester nursing student that you should drop out of school because you don't have critical thinking skills. Critical thinking starts in school with knowledge building and experience communicating with patients but nobody expects even a new grad to have well developed critical thinking skills.

((HUGS))

[purplegal]

Out of all the mistakes you could have made, this was probably rather minor. With that said, I don't want to make it sound like it should be dismissed, either. You did inject the patient with a contaminated needle, and the fact that you apologized to multiple people suggests that you probably know you shouldn't have given that insulin once you pricked your finger. I'm sure your anxiety prior to giving the injection had to do with someone watching you, which I completely relate to and understand, but the fact that you hesitated makes it seem like even in the midst of your anxiety, you knew something wasn't totally right. Although it is very difficult, it is in those moments that you need to step back if you really feel something isn't right. The nurse who told you not to file an incident report and pretend it didn't happen is in the wrong, and hopefully you do not follow her example. Hiding errors has a great chance of negatively impacting the patient.

With that said, I think your instructor was in the wrong to suggest you shouldn't ever be a nurse. You realized and acknowledged that you made a mistake, which suggests to me that you have a conscience and do have the ability to critically think; you just need to work on doing so when you're under pressure. And, since you're new, it is not surprising that you panicked this time. Another poster suggested that your instructor probably discussed the situation with you in this manner because she wants to emphasize the seriousness of the event. While that is true, suggesting that a student leave the nursing profession altogether is not very tactful.

Like other posters have said, I have had my own experiences of nursing instructors suggesting to me that I shouldn't be a nurse. I'm sure that there were some that were surprised that I not only graduated, but graduated with honors. Some of my coworkers at my first job thought I shouldn't be a nurse, either. But, I am seven months into my second nursing job at a SNF and am actually doing well; except for one incident, in which there was a misunderstanding, I have received almost nothing but praise. My current nursing position is not one that I wish to stay at permanently, but has proven to me that those that doubt my nursing abilities are wrong.

If you really want to be a nurse, ignore those opinions. Understand your instructor's feedback and that what you did wasn't right in the situation. But, learn from the situation, and prove her wrong. You can become a nurse, you know yourself better than anyone, including any instructors.

Best of luck to you, as I know such feedback can be frustrating.

[Lisa2.0]

WOW...so much is wrong in this scenerio.

As a student, giving your first injection, I would expect you to be nervous. You pricked yourself. Also, not uncommon and no big deal. BUT....you need to listen to yourself. If something feels wrong....giving the injection after poking yourself.....STOP. Don't continue until you have a clear idea of what is expected.

I think on some level you did that and the preceptor misguided you. NOT YOUR FAULT! She should have corrected your procedure and did not. Next time it happens, and it will, it's ok to question procedure if it is not following protocol. At the end of the day, when you are nurse, it is YOUR license on the line when mistakes happen. YOU have to be the one confident in what you are doing.

That preceptor should have been disciplined.

As for you, accidents happen. It's all part of the process. Even seasoned nurses make mistakes. Learn from the experience and move on.

[ladysyrah]

It is those who are humble and can admit their mistakes, take accountability (a major character requirement in nursing!) who go on and become greater. You are new and will make mistakes. This does NOT mean you will be a bad nurse. . In fact it may make you a BETTER nurse because you had this moment. You won't make this mistake again.. and I'd bet money you would never continue, rather stop and fix that mistake when you do make a mistake again, regardless of what the colleague/nurse says! Don't quit. You've got the makings of a great nurse.