I feel sick to my stomach and I need help

[Porro]

I feel sick to my stomach and i dont know what to do...

I found out a couple of days later that a pt under my care was transferred to the unit during the same day i handed report to the dayshift RN. At first the MD thought it was sepsis based on the s/s the pt had developed, but upon further examination and the blood cultures coming out negative the MD found out the pt had developed a rare allergic reaction to the PRN med the other MD ordered a couple of days before the pt was transferred to the unit (I was one of the nurses who also gave the PRN med). My supervisor told me that none of us could've known this pt would suddenly develop a rare allergic reaction to the PRN med and not to take it personally...

After being a nurse for almost 5 years in the hospital, i never encountered this kind of situation... I feel like its my fault i made the pt go to the unit... And the worse part I keep thinking about-what if the pt were to end up dying- how could i handle something like that??? I found out later the pt ended up being treated and is now off the unit.

I just need some advice about this... This situation has made me feel very depressed.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Welcome to AN! The largest online nursing community!

((HUGS)) It happens. If you didn't know they were allergic there is no responsibility. Patients have sensitivities. Some patients will react to a drug one time differently than others. There is NOTHING you can do about it.

I have given Demerol to a patient on a MAOI....he neglected to tell anyone he was on it because it had been stopped just prior to admission.

I have had patients have reactions to drugs... like Steven Johnson's...that we had NO CLUE about because they had never had the drug before.

I gave a Ca+ channel blocker, with the MD at the bedside, when the drug was new and we almost killed a patient because of the way it stunned the myocardium.

We can't control many things but it is NOT your fault. ((HUGS))

[ausrnurse]

You never know what people can be allergic too and if they haven't had a reaction to that drug before what are you supposed to do? :)

We had a pt in ICU once that we were about to extubate have an anaphylactic reaction to an antibiotic with airway swelling, hypotension, the whole lot. We were just lucky that the med had coincidentally been given before the tube was pulled rather than after. 10 more minutes and the pt would have needed an emergency cric. It could happen to anyone.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

You did not ORDER the medication, you simply administered it. The patient had a rare allergic reaction, anyway.

There are many variables that can cause a patient to crash..

Unless you were one of them, get over it.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

If this wasn't a known allergy that the pt had, how in the world could you have known s/he would react like this? You haven't done anything to feel/be "responsible" for. You did not make this pt go to the ICU. Had s/he died, again unless this was a known issue for the pt, this would STILL not be your fault.

This was not your fault. Hear me clearly--NOT YOUR FAULT. Hugs!!

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I agree with others, I would not feel responsible for the outcomes. It sounds like both you and the doctor were doing the best you could, and no one would have expected this to happen.

I am guessing you are a new nurse. There are many times in my career I have seen the treatment plans unintentionally harm someone. I have pts go into renal failure from IV contrast, or have analphylactic shock from their first dose of Morphine. All you can do is be sharp on your assessment skills and always be prepared for the worst case outcome. At the end of the day, unfortunately some of our treatments will unintentionally harm people

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

You did nothing wrong. You have no liability here.

Sometimes, stuff just happens.

I had an anaphylactic reaction to an IV cephalosporin in the hospital once. Never in a million years would I think it to be the 'fault' of the nurse who gave it, the pharmacist who prepared it or the physician who ordered it. It just happened, and is now a part of my medical history.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Five years in nursing and THIS is what you feel guilty for? Unless you are a proven psychic, and the story is really that you didn't act on a received a "messge" that told you that this patient would have a rare allergic reaction to a medication that was appropriately ordered.....what on EARTH are you feeling responsible for?

Suppose the massive amounts of good patient information and education I provide go unheeded, and one of my patients develops a complication because of something I told him to do and he chose not to do. Am I responsible because that patient didn't absorb my message well, and therefore refused to heed the warnings? Of course not.

You administered a medication that was appropriately ordered and the patient happened to have a very poor reaction to it. Two entirely distinct situations, and in the second situation you bear no culpability.

If you begin to dwell on this beyond reading this thread, I am concerned about what else you might take upon yourself in the future as "fault". Scary road to travel if you're going to stay in healthcare!

[Caffeine_IV]

The way a persons body responds to medication is beyond our control. It wasn't listed as an allergy and it was a delayed reaction...case closed.

[Porro]

Thanks everyone... It's been a very terrible rough couple of weeks on my floor. I feel better after reading everyone's comments and after getting some much needed rest to process everything in my head.