Lesson Learned

There are some things in life that must be learned and cannot be taught. For example, responsibility, love, friendship, and how to take out an IV. Now nurses have explained to me many times how to take out an IV, I've even done it a time or two. When "teaching" you how to pull an IV out they always tell you to clamp the IV, because if you don't, fluid and blood will go everywhere. This is one of those things that you do once, and learn your lesson. Yesterday I learned this lesson.

I work at St. Marks Hospital as a CNA. I usually work in outpatient surgery, but I was filling in in a colonoscopy center (good times, I know). A nurse instructed me to pull out IV's all day long. And I did, successfully, until after lunch. I put my gloves on, got my 2x2 and band-aid ready and pulled. All fine and dandy except for I missed an important step : CLAMPING THE IV! The fluid came flooding out of that catheter like nobodies business. Not to mention the blood running down my patients arm, soaking the blanket. Lucky for me Versaid and Fentonal are strong strong drugs and my patient did not see me freaking out, or really care, nor see the look of panic on my face. When I came out of the room soaking wet the nurses knew exactly what happened and we all shared a laugh:) Although the nurses told me and told me and told me to clamp the IV I didn't get it, until I did it. It's not like I didn't believe them, it just kind of happened and it will never happen again in my nursing career..I think:)