Check-Offs

If you've been reading my blog you know I horribly failed the previous catheter check-offs by being nervous and tearing my sterile gloves.

Well this past weekend we had medication check-offs, Sims lab (see previous post) and catheter check-offs (if you didn't get checked off the previous week).

Medication check-offs was quite nerve racking. We had to administer drugs to a "dummy" via oral, rectal, SQ, asthma inhaler, dermal patch and some people had eye drops or nasal spray. Instead of giving the "dummy" a suppository, a pill, a liquid med or a shot we explained our procedures using the six rights of med adminstration and checking the meds against the MAR 3 times. Twice at the Pixus and once by the bedside with the patient.

That was only one part of med check-offs, another was using landmarks on a partial "dummy" for IM injections. The greater trochanter and iliac crest for ventral gluteul shots and the greater trochanter and knee for the vastus lateralis shots. My instructor had her covered up with a chuck to hide her derriere.

Another part of med check-offs was giving and receiving a saline IM injection in the arm. I received my shot first, didn't feel a thing. She was quick and steadied her needle to drawback with great confidence. My shot was virtually painless however I yelled "Owieeeeeeeeeeeeeee" to make her nervous. She thought I was serious. I had the 2 instructors in the lab laughing.

My turn had come to give her the IM injection. Sadly it took me 3 tries with the needle to draw up saline. I kept hitting the plunger on the needle while it was capped and leaked liquid everywhere. What a noob I was. Finally I had the needle loaded, ready to go. I found my landmarks. Placed an alcohol swab near the entry point and I went for it. I wasn't as steady as she was with withdrawing back fluid but I did accomplish the shot. Now before then I had only given shots in the abdomen SQ.

Afterwards she said I hurt her, may have hit a nerve or something. I felt horrible considering she sat there silently and took the pain without a shred of nervousness.

Then onto catheter check-offs. I did it with flying colors. Never broke sterile field, didn't break my gloves. Could I do this on a live person someday? Maybe. If my first victim asks if  I've done this before then I can say yes with little certainty.