Every Student Does It

Every student, when they first try to do something clinical will make a prat of themselves.   This week it was my turn.

I was with an anaesthetist and she asked me to go and inject a drug into the patient’s bag of saline solution.  So I walked over to the drip and got the syringe with the big sharp needle attached, aimed for the hole where you inject the drug and advanced the needle.

It took me a second to realise why the needle hadn’t gone into the bag, it had gone into my finger.  After a quiet “Ow!” and an admission of failure the anaesthetist came over.  In order to save me a little dignity she quietly suggested that I injected the drug via a small 3-way tap in the fluid line.  I grabbed the tubing and almost imediately noticed some blood was on it, it was of course my blood from the needlestick injury.  “OK, just go and wash your finger and sit down” said the anaesthetist mid eye-roll. 

Needle 1, Dignity 0.