Help I am a new grad and I made a medication error!

[Rosey]

Help I am a new grad nurse just out of school working with my IP. I started working in a new grad program and my second day on the floor I made a major medication error. I gave medications to the wrong patient. I realized this when she questioned all the medications she was taking and what they were for after she had taken them, I completely froze told her I had to go get something and notified my preceptor. I was completely horrified I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I only had two patients that day it wasn't like I was strapped for time I was just stupid for not being more careful.

I pretty much started to cry and I wanted to quit nursing right then and there. I have never made a medication error in my life not even in school. My friends were often the ones to make mistakes not me. My confidence is completely shot. Everything has gone so well for me. My first day was great and then this happened. I don't know what to do I feel like quitting and not showing my face in that hospital again. I am crying as I write this just thinking about my mistake. My preceptor was really nice to me as well as everyone on the floor. Fortunatley the patient was stable and the medication that I gave her did not cause any side effects. I keep thinking to myself what if it was a patient who had allergies to this medication or what if I could have killed that patient. I never thought twice about telling someone what I did. I could never live with myself if I didn't. But I am ready to give up. I am even asking myself why I want to be a nurse maybe I will not make a good nurse. I feel like the next time I work everyone will be watching me waiting for me to make amother mistake. How can I stop thinking about this?

Rosey

[mustangsheba]

Let me add a little extra note here that may also be of use down the road. I requested a pain medication for one of my patients last night. The Doc ordered Vicodin. My little nurse Guardian Angel,( who knows me well so hovers over me through every shift) whispered "check the allergies." Sure enough, there was Vicodin. My GA also arranged it so the Doc had forgotten something and was returning from the elevator. She told me she was hoping I would think to check before giving the med. The only reason I might not have checked is that this doctor knew the patient very well, and I had never laid eyes on him and we were very busy with patients bleeding out and dying and such. The morale of this story is ALWAYS listen to your Guardian Angel! How are ya doing, by the way?

[maryb]

And sometimes your patient has a guardian angel. The last time I gave a patient the wrong meds (patients next door to each other with same name, different middle initial), I freaked too. I was sooo upset, called the doc, and he had me run some basic labs on the patient to check things. The patient was scheduled to be discharged, but the doc held him for assessment and these labs.

Turned out, the guy's H/H was VERY low, needed a transfusion. It didn't have anything to do with the meds I gave him. And if I hadn't made the mistake, he would have went home like that and come back to us in WORSE shape.

Turned out, he had a small GI bleed. Moral of the story? I was still upset over the mistake I had made, but it wasn't the end of the world. In fact, the doctor came to floor, hugged me and said "Mary, we all make mistakes, and it doesn't make you a bad nurse" You don't often get that kind of support from the physician community, so I was able to put the experience in perspective.

[Zee_RN, BSN, RN]

And there was the day I had 18 patients on my med-surg floor and was carrying around IV piggybacks in my pocket. Imagine my extreme dismay and utter mortification when my patient's FAMILY came out to me and said..."that little bag of medicine that my husband's getting has someone else's name on it...." AAAACKKK. There was no excuse for it. Obviously, I didn't follow the five rights. Had to explain to the family and patient that I screwed up. Had to call physician (fortunately, a nice guy who said, "well, a little dose of Cipro probably did him good"). Write up incident report; call supervisor, file report with my boss. Was checking the want-ads that night for the local grocery store or restaurant! OMG, I'll never forget that day and I'll NEVER carry meds in my pocket again!!!

Live and learn and get on with your nursing career....you'll do fine.

[jlangrn]

Hey Rosey,

You're like all of the rest of us, if you're a nurse you either have or will make a med error, we are just human. I agree this will make you a better nurse and it won't happen again, I'm sure. I also take the MAR to the room with me and take the meds in the unit doses and open them and put a small check mark by them as I give them and tell the pt what they are. As many have said the pts do know their meds better than anyone and will question anything different and we all learn to listen and double check whenever they question. I still get nervous when passing meds and I still check and double check after the 5 yrs I've been nursing. You'll do great, hang in there, and God bless, Judy

[Goofball]

Yah, Rosey, get back up on that horsey and ride!

You have a conscience, and that in itself says

you are a good nurse. One time I never noticed, until 6 hours into my chaotic shift, that a pt.

had the wrong IV going (hung by previous shift)

It was D5and 1/2 instead of 1/4, but I dutifully took it down/changed it and reported it to the surgeon. She came apart; she told me if the pt. died it would be my fault, and coincidentally, that pt was going down the tubes that day anyway;

but certainly not from that stupid IV. Too long a story to tell, but I actually had to go to counseling to get through this!!! Now I never wait to check an IV solution, when I do my assessments, no matter how busy I am or how many times I am interrupted. And I sure have found a lot of strange, unordered things hanging! But anyway, at the time of this occurrence, I was a mess, dissolved into a nonfunctional imbecile, and barely got through my shift. You will survive, stick it out, you will be more proud of yourself if you do!

[LPN_mn]

Rosey,

I have to agree with the other posts here today. I have been a nurse for 3 years and just last week I made a med error. I was working in a new Nursing Home and did not yet know all the residents. I took an insulin injection over to an elderly lady called the name of the resident that was to get the injection and she answered. I told her that I had her insulin and she did not protest or anything so I gave the injection. Just as I started to put the insulin in her abd, it dawned on me that she had no bruising on her abd. That should have been a flag but I thought she may have just been started on insulin. I gave the injection and a Nursing assistant came over and called the lady by a different name. I immediately reported the error and when we took her blood sugar before calling the Dr. everyone was surprised at how high her BS was and that she had no diagnosis for diabetes. Luckily I have been in nursing long enough that my convidence was not shakin too badly and I was able to complete the shift with no other problems. Keep your chin up. Everyone makes mistakes and I think as preceptors and nurses we kind of expect them.

[Russ Dowling]

Rosey, first of all you're human. We make mistakes. Everyone is right when they say you'll probably never do it again. My first year of nursing I accidently gave a patient 12 units of regular insulin instead of NPH. I realized it as I finished giving it to her. I notified the RN covering me, and the house doc, and filled out an incident report. I monitored her very closely for the rest of the shift. I'll never forget that feeling of horror! That was 10 years ago, and I've NEVER made another med error. PLEASE don't give up; this mistake can make you a better nurse!