Is that my med error?

[payang0722]

Hello everyone!

I'm a new LVN and just started to work on the floor by myself in a SNF. It was my second day yesterday and It was not very easy. I have a question to those of you who have been a nurse for years with tremendous experiences...

To make the story short, I received a new order from the doctor. Here's the order: Give 3 more doses of IV cefepimine then start cipro po bid x 8 days after the last dose...So i noted the order, put it in the MAR writing + 3 more doses on the IV flow sheet, and then i put cipro bid x 8 days to be started on the date when the last dose of IV will be given...so here's the thing..the AM nurse didn't see the additional 3 more doses that was ordered so she didn't give the 2nd dose IV, but instead gave the cipro po... we went to the assistant DON, called the MD & so on....they asked us to make a med error report about that. the DON asked me to sign the med error report too, so I signed. but then i realized last night that i didn't commit any med error since i gave the 1st of the 3 doses, and she was the one who didn't give the 2nd dose and instead gave the cipro po...I want your insights please....i am not comfortable & i think of talking to our DON to clarify that. Thank you in advance.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

OP, I am just wondering WHAT form your nurse manager had you sign. Was it an incident report (and if so, did you read through it thoroughly), or was it something different?

You WERE NOT at fault here. You transcribed and carried out the orders. You gave the IV orders as written. I wonder why the oncoming nurse missed the order...did she not read through everything?

Honey, don't lose sleep over this. You did nothing wrong. Make a note of this in your memory bank, and perhaps when you get enough experience, you can use this incident as an example of how you would like to change some of the policies at your place of employment. The orders seemed cut and dried to me, but if another nurse was unsure of the order, there must be some communication flaw in existence.

Now you rest your head easy tonight, dear one! I am glad that you are the type of nurse who is vigilant about these things. Kudos to you for catching it!

[kat7464]

This is not your error! Do what you need to do to clear your name of any attachment to the mistake and pat yourself on the back for handling the order correctly. It's easy to feel bad about a mistake, even when it's not your own. Don't go there...you were just fine in this situation!

[Jenni811, RN]

i don't have "tremendous" experience liked you asked for, but i would say you have no fault in this at all, what so ever. There is nothing you did wrong-- as long as it was transcribed correctly.

Not your fault :)