Friday, June 13, 2008
OSHA + JACHO= FUBAR
Never let a doctor start an IV!!!! To help pay for school I was an orderly and then an IV tech. I used to be able to start and IV on a turnip, but wait. We now have these special catheters that have been redesigned to prevent needle sticks by making them almost impossible to use. On top of that, they are 5 times more expensive! To start an IV we first would put in a tourniquet, look for a vein, prep it with alcohol and then stick the needle into the vein and advance the catheter over the needle. One it was in, you pulled out the needle and hooked it up. But wait, now we have to use a prepacked, disposable special preping swab and then use this thing that is spring loaded so that once the needle hits the vein you are supposed to press this little button that may or may not work that retracts the needle into the hub. In reality it sticks and you cant get the catheter off the thing, the patient bleeds and you blow the vein and have to start again on the other arm. Isn't it great! I wonder if the OSHA and JACHO guys are working for the company that makes these thing. It seems we have to use a lot more of the catheters becuase they just suck. The good thing is that I found a stash of the old IV catheters. Dont tell the JACHO Nazis.
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2 comments:
Oh Throckmorton...I won't tell if you won't tell. ;)
What I don't understand is that when medical staff...the people actually in the trenches feels/knows something doesn't work as efficiently, costs more money in the budget and wastes time possibly compromising patient/employee safety or patient comfort...WHY doesn't anyone speak up? Why do these things become the status quo?
As a patient...it is really troubling to hear this stuff.
Do they have medical people designing/approving these things or pencil pushers? There must be science behind it.?? And with everyone so budget conscious...why use something inferior that costs more?
Then again...I guess they are trying to find ways to protect you all from needle sticks.
I find it interesting that sometimes people can get the IVs right in and others can't at all. The worst is in the hand.
I guess there are different variables and some techs/nurses are just better at it. I had an excellent lab tech in the ER. The others were mediocre and some just couldn't do it. I am pretty good with tolerating the pain when they do this but must admit I was relieved when they weren't taking blood one morning.
I did get an IV in a weird site and even one of my urologists said "oooh!" when he saw it but it actually was in the best and least annoying spot. It was in on my left side of the 2nd knuckle on my r index finger. It looked like it would be sore but it wasn't and I could totally flex it and it never set off the monitor.
Ugh...the Er had one in my left arm that was continually setting off the monitor. I just kept shutting it off myself. The nurses in the ER and on the floor knew it. I just didn't touch it when the antibiotics were going in.
Then on my last day doctor wanted one more round of antibiotics going in and no one could get the thing in and so they called in someone who always does it. Sure enough she did in a vein inside my forearm near my wrist. I joked and said I would call for her the next time there is a problem. She smiled and gave me her card and told me to do that. it's in my wallet. :)
I would not want to have to give needles or draw blood. I would be so concerned that I was hurting/torturing them.
I give you and anyone that has to do that a lot of credit.
I left you another comment in your TIH=Prob GS post.
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