Have you ever made a med error?

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i'm a senior rn student & i made my first med error last week. the nursing director said if i make another med error i'm out of the program. Has anyone done a med error as a student?

i know i'm going to be totally paranoid from now on giving meds, since i know if i mess up again i'm OUT!....ugh!

We start passing meds in about a month and I just want to thank you all!

First, these posts help me to realize how easy it is to make a mistake and how very very careful one needs to be.

Second, If and when I do make that mistake I hope and pray it is a small one and not devastating to the pt.

Third, I pray I remember not to crucify myself over the mistake. I am sure this last one, though!!

Thanks for showing 'this' student everyone is human!

looks like you were able to learn from this thread, so i'm glad i started it. of course, i had my own agenda at first, but then realized it was helpful for everyone! good luck to you & like everyone has said just be VERY careful & aware of what is going on around, you so you aren't distracted.:wink2:

Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.
A better question should be:

Who hasn't made a med error?

I would be impressed...

Okay, here's another question..."how many med errors occur that go undetected?;" meaning not just that they aren't reported or what have you but that they're never caught in the 1st place?

In nursing school, one of my instructors told us that any nurse who says she hasn't made a med error is a liar, and I believe that's true. I did, in fact, make a med error in nursing school. I had a patient with seizures. At that time, on the MAR, you had squares underneath times and you checked off meds you gave at specific times. I saw an antiseizure was to be given and gave it per G-tube. I failed to notice that the one dose was to be held and it was too late, I'd already given it. We called the Doc, he said to monitor the pt and everything was fine, but it scared the heck out of me. Another student made a mistake when she went in to give insulin and asked the pt if he was Mr. Jones and he said yes. She gave him insulin, only to discover he was confused and he was not Mr. Jones, and not diabetic! Of course, the Doc was called, the pt was monitored, blood sugar checked and he had a meal and he was okay too. Passing meds is a huge responsibility, so try not to allow yourself to be rushed which is tough when you have a ton of patients, but you have to make yourself follow the 5 rights, all the time. As others have said, learn from your mistakes, I know I did!

Check the meds 3 times against the MAR-- when you're pulling them, when you're dropping in the cups, and prior to administering...make sure you check the wristband and have the pt state their name and DOB...seems like overkill, but it also seems if you follow the steps to a "T" without taking a shortcut, it would cut med errors down drastically...is this realistic in the real world? Is it actually done daily?!?!

That's what we've been taught so far, anyway....any practicing RN's agree/disagree?!?!

Signed:

New Nursing Student

I totally agree. That is how it is in the real world. Also when I give the pt. their pills I say each one and what it is for. It is so easy to make a mistake. Remember the 5 rights!

I totally agree. That is how it is in the real world. Also when I give the pt. their pills I say each one and what it is for. It is so easy to make a mistake. Remember the 5 rights!

This is such a great idea. It not only helps prevent medication errors, it helps educate the patient and gives them the opportunity to ask questions about their meds.

i am a first year nursing student with about 12 years experience in the animal field as a "nurse" doing anesthesia, intubations, iv's, med admin, cath insertion, radiography, you name it, it's been done...including med error, never administration, but caught myself with calculations (thankfully). i had my first med check off today, and through my own stupidity, made an error with my injection of reglan. talk about nerve racking....but rest assured i will, from this day forward, strive to remember this day! we are not perfect, mistakes will be made, and the ground has been broken for us previous to this. its about not being distracted and making sure you follow all the "rights". however, sometimes we see what we want to see also! dont beat yourself up,:nono: just use it as one of the best learning tools you can add to your "toolbox".

i Have Been A Rn Bsn For 6 Years And Yes I Have Made A Med Error Thank Goodness It Didnt Hurt The Pt I Feel That Alot Of Nurses Think That If They Report The Error Then They Are Implying They Dont Know What They Are Doing But I Feel That If They Are Not Reported Then How Are We To Learn From Our Mistakes We Are Human And It Happens I Think The New Barcoding Of Pts And Meds Will Help This Alot

Specializes in Pediatrics, PICU, CM, DM.

In my school, you get kicked out after your first med error.

That is a very unwise policy. Not one of us is perfect, and at some point in our career, we are all going to make some mistakes. It is critical that we acknowledge errors, and make sure that the patient's safety is always addressed first and foremost. To put students in a position where it's "your safety or my career" is just plain dangerous. Good hospitals don't do this with their staff; most recognize that there can be many reasons for med errors, and they review errors carefully. Only in the most egregious cases will a hospital fire a nurse for the first error because they don't want to stifle reporting and patient safety.

In my school, you get kicked out after your first med error.

That is a very unwise policy. Not one of us is perfect, and at some point in our career, we are all going to make some mistakes. It is critical that we acknowledge errors, and make sure that the patient's safety is always addressed first and foremost. To put students in a position where it's "your safety or my career" is just plain dangerous. Good hospitals don't do this with their staff; most recognize that there can be many reasons for med errors, and they review errors carefully. Only in the most egregious cases will a hospital fire a nurse for the first error because they don't want to stifle reporting and patient safety.

I agree w/ you! the students in that program may not own up to an error, if they KNOW they will be kicked out of the program and that may harm or kill the pt.?.....

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I think that most nurses have made at least one error in their careers. I have not made one as a student, but can say that I did make one in life.

More likely you never caught the error you made. We are only human, and I have found that med errors usually have two or three people involved, ie, pharmacist, nurse who transcribed the order, etc.

good info to learn.

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