Today I made a big mistake.

[student-rn]

This is my second clinical. I made a terrible mistake of administering medications (Bystolic orally, and Lovenox) without my "elders" in the room. My clinical instructor had to file a complaint report with my statement. What should I do next?

I am sure I'll be out of the program, but am I eligible to start RN program ever again?

[Success4all]

WOW, if this was my school, you will definitely be kicked out. Better yet, the instructor would have send you home after the incident report is written. We are allowed to pass meds only if your instructor or the nurse is present and are watching you do so. Clinical sites are hard to find (speaking base on my area) and if a hospital feels that student's from certain schools don't follow the rules or are not being taught the rules, they will not allow that school back in their facility. And I am also very confused how a patient talked you into giving her her medications; usually when a patient ask me certain things like that, I go and verify it with the nurse and she will let me know what to do such as "we can go and administer it to her at so and so time." I think the main question is how did you get the medication? Did the nurse give them to you? Are you guys allowed to take the meds by yourself? Your judgement was very poor in this situation, as a student nurse, you have to be extremely careful and not get carried away with all of the excitement. Oh when you go to explain yourself to your school, please don't say that you and the patient were having such a good conversation and she talked you into giving the medications to her, that don't really sound good and will only make their decision to kick you out easier. Apologize for your mistake, take responsibility that it was wrong, be sincere and hope for the best! This is just weird that it is only your second clinical rotation and you had the balls to do this. Wow

[Pink Magnolia, BSN, RN]

You made a mistake and it's kind of a big one since it deals with medication. Nursing students should have 7 rights and the seventh one being "right person monitoring administration of medication." The thing is we can't go back in history and change things. What's done is done. The important thing now is to reflect on your mistake...which you are doing, and to make sure that you NEVER do this again. We all make mistakes...big and small. You know what Winston Churchill said, "All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes." Ok I'm almost done. Next time you are preparing for meds do the THREE checks and the SEVEN rights!