Dumb mistake

rhan101277

rhan101277

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Well today I worked about 8 hours on the ambulance, I had one call. Anyhow we took the patient on in and I put a nasal cannula on him at 4L/min. I go load up the stretcher and we get back and maybe 2 hours go by. I take a student out to show him the back of the ambulance and realize the regulator isn't working. I then figure out that the 02 tank is empty and I replace it. I am glad I found out, it made me feel stupid. I need to be focused more, maybe it was a simple mistake since I maybe only work there once a month. But still a mistake is a mistake and I am hard on myself about them.
:unsure:
 
Mistakes happen. Don't be too hard on yourself this time, but if it happens again perhaps you need to give yourself a talking to. :P
 
Mistakes do happen.

The thing about some mistakes is it makes you more aware and you will be less likely to make them again.

It will be a reminder for you to check your equipment including the fit of the regulator. What may be full at the start of shift will later be empty when you need it.

Also, when some first got their new CPAP devices, they learned the hard way as to what gas hogs they could be.

Keep on learning.
 
Keep on learning.
Click to expand...

One thing I learned early on that was really hammered into me by one guy I rode with alot as a trainee was always check the rig at the shift change over. This guy is "obsessed" (in a good way ;)) with going over the rig every time he comes on duty. I "re-learned" this and it was really driven home the other day when I was checking the rig as I was coming on duty. The last crew had left a dead battery in the moniter and right after I replaced it we got paged out to a C/P. I didn't end up needing massive amounts of power but the guy had tombstones and I might have needed it. (Especally if I had not changed the batt. :P)

So now I always check out the rig at the start of my shift.

One of my trainers used to tell me to try to learn something from every call, every shift, every pt contact, etc. I'm trying.:wacko:
 
Well the rigs are checked off at the beginning of each shift, but you need to check them throughout the day if you get alot of calls. Also the rig is mechanically checked off at the beginning of each shift. Oil, transmission, brake, coolant, power steering fluids are all checked. Tire pressure, spare tire pressure, hoses and belts as well as making sure the rig cranks and the gas is full.
 
I check O2 at beginning of each shift and after each patient even if they did not get O2.

I also advise, if your service does not do it, to shut off O2 at the tank when not in use. All the vibration etc leads to leaks and you do not want to find out it all leaked out when you get a critical respiratory patient.
 
I have found that a good dose of humiliation is guaranteed to cement a lesson into my brain.
 
As far as I'm concerned, if we never made mistakes we would never learn. And theeeeeere's your silver lining.
 
Listening to the O2 hiss out as you are doing compressions will work too.

If it isn't important don't have it.
If it's important, check it.
If it's important and you don't understand it, find out STAT.
"Double checking" doesn't mean your partner doesn't trust you...necessarily.:blush:
 
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