Ever have one of those days at work that start off great then end VERY VERY shitty?
I arrive at work, jet set and ready to go. I hit the ground running doing EKGs, drawing blood and doing everything a good ER Tech will do.
After drawing blood on a patient and leaving the room I get called to the front to help take a non responsive patient out of a car... not a good thing.
I arrive at the car to see two people and the triage nurse standing in front of the passenger side of the car. In the passenger side was a 18 yrd woman, totally unresponsive. Thankfully the triage nurse had grabbed a stretcher and we were able to get her onto the stretcher and into a room in moments. Within minutes she was intubated, cathed and IVs started. As I was holding her head so the Respiratory Therapist could tape down the intubation tube, the patient starts to choke, then full projectile vomiting. My upper body flies back matrix style to avoid the black, yes black, vomit this woman is spewing all over the ER room floor. Luckily we were able to keep her airway open. I was very fortunate to not get any vomit on me. Especially since she spewed Three times. Turns out the night before she had gone out with friends. Taken Xanax and Methadone. Layed down around noon to take a nap then couldn't be woken up. She was very lucky.
-----------------------------------
Now for the bad part of the day. Before the Methadone overdose showed up I had drawn blood on a patient with a broken wrist being admited for surgery the next day. I usually don't draw blood from the same arm the IV is in, I usually go for the opposite arm. Since I couldn't do that in this case I drew blood from the arm with the IV and made a dire mistake. I drew from the vein above the IV site. The blood specimine was dilluted/ contaminated from the IV fluids. So when the labs came back they showed her to be very sick and her bloodsugar to be very high. Insulin was given and she was sent to the ICU. Then my mistake became known. I honestly wasn't told during my training to not draw blood above the IV site. It never occured to me that was wrong.
So because of my error a patient was given insulin and fluids for low electrolights and high blood sugar. She was ok, sent to ICU where her blood sugars will be monitored overnight. I had to fill out a variance form, documenting my error. The Charge Nurse told me that it was ok and that the patient will be fine but I still can't get over the fact that I almost caused major harm to a patient. I got into this field to heal and help people, I've always understood that we skate a fine line between harming and healing but to know that my actions almost caused major harm to someone... I don't think I could allow myself to live with that.
I know one thing. I have learned two lessons from today. One, never draw blood from above the IV site and Two, I still have lots to learn in life.
I arrive at work, jet set and ready to go. I hit the ground running doing EKGs, drawing blood and doing everything a good ER Tech will do.
After drawing blood on a patient and leaving the room I get called to the front to help take a non responsive patient out of a car... not a good thing.
I arrive at the car to see two people and the triage nurse standing in front of the passenger side of the car. In the passenger side was a 18 yrd woman, totally unresponsive. Thankfully the triage nurse had grabbed a stretcher and we were able to get her onto the stretcher and into a room in moments. Within minutes she was intubated, cathed and IVs started. As I was holding her head so the Respiratory Therapist could tape down the intubation tube, the patient starts to choke, then full projectile vomiting. My upper body flies back matrix style to avoid the black, yes black, vomit this woman is spewing all over the ER room floor. Luckily we were able to keep her airway open. I was very fortunate to not get any vomit on me. Especially since she spewed Three times. Turns out the night before she had gone out with friends. Taken Xanax and Methadone. Layed down around noon to take a nap then couldn't be woken up. She was very lucky.
-----------------------------------
Now for the bad part of the day. Before the Methadone overdose showed up I had drawn blood on a patient with a broken wrist being admited for surgery the next day. I usually don't draw blood from the same arm the IV is in, I usually go for the opposite arm. Since I couldn't do that in this case I drew blood from the arm with the IV and made a dire mistake. I drew from the vein above the IV site. The blood specimine was dilluted/ contaminated from the IV fluids. So when the labs came back they showed her to be very sick and her bloodsugar to be very high. Insulin was given and she was sent to the ICU. Then my mistake became known. I honestly wasn't told during my training to not draw blood above the IV site. It never occured to me that was wrong.
So because of my error a patient was given insulin and fluids for low electrolights and high blood sugar. She was ok, sent to ICU where her blood sugars will be monitored overnight. I had to fill out a variance form, documenting my error. The Charge Nurse told me that it was ok and that the patient will be fine but I still can't get over the fact that I almost caused major harm to a patient. I got into this field to heal and help people, I've always understood that we skate a fine line between harming and healing but to know that my actions almost caused major harm to someone... I don't think I could allow myself to live with that.
I know one thing. I have learned two lessons from today. One, never draw blood from above the IV site and Two, I still have lots to learn in life.
tahliana:
Ah dude, everyone makes mistakes, without making some mistakes things can get really complacent. Sorry to hear you made one but remember, you are only human and yeah, 
tahliana:
thanks sweeeeeeeetieeeeeeeeeee hehehehe