Karma's a B!

I have known for a while now what sort of effect I have on students when they have to perform a nursing skill in front of me. Even when the skill only counts for a very small percentage of their grade, they always get very nervous and that nervousness, and me, have a Murphy's Law effect on them. They forget things they once knew well, needles fly off the syringe, pills drop on the floor, etc. I did not know, however, that I would have this effect on others, as well.

Today, I got my yearly TB test done. Since my current employer does not provide TB testing, I go to the pharmacy at a local United (a supermarket) to have the test performed. The pharmacist who performed the test had to stick me twice. Yes, twice on a simple TB test. All you have to do is get the bevel of the needle under the skin (but not into the fat or muscle) and inject a tiny bit of serum and make a bubble. Well, on the 1st attempt, I think he didn't go far enough in, and as he injected the serum, some of it leaked out and didn't make it into me. So, he felt he had to restart. Me, personally, felt that a there would still be enough of the serum in to get an accurate response, but I didn't say anything. So, he drew up more of the serum into a new syringe with a new needle, and did it in my other arm.

I guess that's what I get for causing so many students so much grief. That's what I get for letting a pharmacist do this test. How many of these has he done? He told me that this has never happened to him before, but I was left wondering if that is because he so rarely does it.

Oh well. It's over now. You guys need to remind me on Wednesday morning to go have it read.