Med errors unavoidable?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

When your meds. should have been out 1/2 hr. ago,and residents are leaving the floor,and two admits are coming in 10 min,and a resident is in respiratory distress and another has fallen,and there are distractions galore-what if anything,do you as nurses do to concentrate and follow the 5 rights and avoid making med errors?

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

You prioritize. First what is the staffing? What is the pattern there? Task? Team? Pod? Primary?

Are you the only one who can deal with the respiratory distress? That would be my #1.

Other than insulin and some of the cardiac meds, most others can wait. How many patients do you have to give meds to? 30 minutes is kind of a short period of time.

We had a space of 90 minutes....45 before time due and 45 after time to get them out. And that was with the prior shift pulling our meds from the Pyxis for us...we returnd the favor for their 9PM meds.

Can someone else meet and greet the new admission? If it's a postop then you will have to stop and receive. If this is an ECF is there a time frame to do the paperwork? If not, comfort measures, and food should be a good start. A secretary, tech, CNA can do that.

I'd have me a stack of incident reports handy and fill them out as to staffing etc.

WHATEVER you do, do NOT rush meds. I'd rather be late than WRONG.

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PRIORITIZE, PRIORITIZE, PRIORITIZE, and common sense.

Then, document by filling an incident report as well as filling in PATIENT LOAD REPORT.:p

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Specializes in Geriatrics, LTC.

I have to agree.... prioritize and then just do everything needed.....and if you have to ask other staff for help (if there is anyone)...you would be surprised how some will help especially if they know they can count on you in a pinch too. :)

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Thanks,that helps,feel better going to work after reading the above advice.

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Specializes in SICU.

DON'T forget too that most of your 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, and 2400 meds can all be thrown out at about 2245 or so. Did that more than one night myself... :(

That's why I work ICU now... at least when my workload is sh*tty I only have two patients to deal with... and I usually get a LOT more help from coworkers. Not as much help on floors mainly due to the fact that everyone else is as bogged down as you.

Everyone else that posted above is SO correct. INCIDENT REPORT and DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT!

Good luck...

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