What is the worst rookie mistake you've seen

johnrsemt

Forum Deputy Chief
1,672
256
83
I left the clipboard behind so many times my partners threatened to put Velcro on my hands and Velcro on the clipboard it to me
 

rujero

Emergency Services RN, NREMT
47
20
8
She hooked the line up and it wouldn't flow real good, I look, and she put the IV in backwards.

What exactly does this mean? You're saying she aimed the tip of the needle toward the distal end of the arm?
 

johnrsemt

Forum Deputy Chief
1,672
256
83
I was standing in line at Ambulance triage; about 4th; talking to the medic in front of me; happened to look at the IV hanging on their patient. Asked the medic what was wrong with the patient, and was told she was dehydrated. I asked him if it caused any cardiac issues and he looked at me like I was a moron.
I leaned over and kind of whispered to him that he might want to replace the 500mL bag of Lidocaine that he had hanging with a 500mL bag of NS or LR. The look on his face was priceless. I give him respect that he told the ED doctor and nurses what he did; and didn't blame it on his partner, even though his partner spiked the bag.
 

phideux

Forum Captain
432
44
28
What exactly does this mean? You're saying she aimed the tip of the needle toward the distal end of the arm?
Yeah, you look away for 2 seconds sometimes.
 

johnrsemt

Forum Deputy Chief
1,672
256
83
I have seen people that have great veins on the bottom of their arms, you have to fold the arm back to get at it; so when you start IV, and you point needle towards the heart, it is actually pointed at the hand. oops
 

ZootownMedic

Forum Lieutenant
163
9
18
When I was a new medic I was rolling double medic with a guy who’d been at it for 20 years and who I respected a lot. Ran a teenager who had hurt his ankle skateboarding. Roll up on scene and do an assessment and see what I thought at the time was an abrasion to his ankle with some swelling and slight deformity. Medic standing behind says without hardly looking at it that it’s a puncture wound. I literally laughed and corrected him that it was an abrasion. Guess who was right? Bone had popped right through and gone back making a nice little puncture wound that looked like and abrasion. Learned not to argue with people who have been doing the job way longer because you just end up looking stupid.
 
Top