Breaking Sterile Field

On Tuesday night we had the opportunity to check-off our urinary catheter insertions although we weren't in our check-off scrubs. The instructors felt they would give us the advantage of checking off early if we showed up to open lab. Only half of the students showed up to lab and we had fun with needles again and practicing catheters.

I felt I was ready to check off for catheter insertion. My loud mouth says sure I'll go next! With jittery hands and semi-blurred vision I went into the room with a closed door. Two hospital beds laid in front of me. One male and one female sims dummy were in the beds. It was the male sims dummy I was to use.

I forgot patient privacy, forgot to ask if there were any allergies to shellfish or iodine then the inevitable happened. The only possible thing that could happen to you when you've had a 5 shot latte from Starbucks then a 20 oz coffee on the way to school within an hour and a half period...I ripped the sterile gloves not once but twice. I had broken the sterile field. I had failed.

At this point my hands were so sweaty from nerves and I was still jittery and scared to death of the instructor checking me off we had mutually decided I should have asked for bigger gloves. I had no idea the gloves were made for someone the size of a 6 year old. Tiny sterile gloves they were, green in fact and I ripped the hell out of them.

I didn't get checked off, instead I let my best friend caffeine get the best of me and I think I pissed off the instructor with the glove incident. I have no idea where my mind was but I must have donated it for a brief time to science.

Needless to say I am going to check off urinary catheters this weekend. I need to stay 2 days in the teeny town where school is. We are doing sims lab and medication check-offs tomorrow. Sunday respiratory lab and catheter check offs. I have someone I will be carpooling with now and will share the hotel room her.

I will be staying in a hotel probably having a margarita by the time you read this.