Help..First Med Error

[lpnQT25]

I feel horrible. I had my first (& hopefully last) Med error last night. I am a recent grad... working a new PRN job at a ltc facility with only 4 days training... I was behind from the start of my shift... The bad thing of ltc is no one wears a wrist band.. Only pics... I knew it immediately after I gave the med.. I felt sick right then... Thank god everything was ok.. dr. was notified and nothing developed .. like side effects.. I am so doubting myself now.. feeling I am not competent.... Please if anyone has other such stories in there history please share.. I need a pep talk Big TimE! Thinking of calling my Nursing teacher for some support!

[GingerSue]

don't doubt yourself

what is really not quite right here seems to be that they don't have name wrist bands

(I remember working one evening in a LTC facility where residents had no name identification - I asked the regular staff to identify each person before I gave the medication - but I still find myself feeling uncomfortable with that - my view is that each person should have identification)

maybe ask each client to say his/her name before giving the meds?

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

Mama has a drawer full of bands she cut, broke, pulled off. I can't think of how to better the situation. She only takes 1 med, but I am so afraid she might get someone else's cup full.

[bargainhound, RN]

Mistakes have even been made with picture identification.......some people

look similar........or their pictures are out of date compared to what they

look like at present.

It is a good idea to have someone else identify in addition to the pictures.

Do not have the idea that this will be your last mistake.

It is great that you followed proper procedure for correcting/follow-up/

reporting the mistake.

Just continue to be careful and do the best you can to prevent another

error.

Mistakes happen.

When someone says they have never made a mistake, don't believe it.