Forgot a patient

Nurses Relations

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Hello,

So they said "it's only going to get better". It's getting worst for me.

2days ago, we were short of staff. We had another nurse come from another floor to work for 4hours only then after that we were going to split patients (each nurse was going to get an extra patient)

When the nurse was leaving, I was on my break. So I don't know who she gave report to.

When I came back, it was time to give meds so i got caught up with my meds and no one gave me report about the extra patient.

I only realized at the end of the shift when the nxt nurse was looking for the papers. How bad is this? I did go back and give the meds but It makes me feel irresponsible. Is it my fault or a shared one with the one who didn't pass out the report (because i am sure someone did take the report)

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From the story, how could you have known? No one gave you report on the pt you were supposed to take. I would not take the blame for this, at least not alone. This blame should be shared. Someone must have known that you were on break when the assignment was divided up.

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Specializes in Ambulatory Care-Family Medicine.

The blame is not on you. If she did give report it's on whoever accepted the report and responsibility if informing you. If she did not give report and sign off to someone then that is on her for abandoning a patient without another caregiver. The only fault you have was knowing you were getting an extra patient at some point and not following up on that but the patient not receiving care is not on you.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I agree that this is not your fault, there was a breakdown in communication. That is why in my charting at the end of the day I always write that I have reported off to a specific nurse. Then if anything that happens after that, at least I have documented that the responsibility of care was not mine. Whoever took report assumed care, and it was their responsibility to either care for the patient or report off to you. I would have let the charge nurse know immediately as soon as you realized what happened to cover yourself for the time that the patient did not receive care.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Hello my coworker at our doctors office forgot about a patient which she had assigned him a room in the back that we use for overflow which we almost never use this room. However I feel that not only my coworker but all of the other nurses and medical assistants including myself should deserve the blame. He was forgotten for over an hour I just don’t understand how it happened because my coworker did say she flagged the room and I was training with a member of our senior nursing staff I did pass the room and I didn’t notice but neither did anyone else. My concern is For the patient. what could I have done?  Or what could we have done differently ? I want to ensure this does not happen again

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

When I worked at a hospital, this was a nightmare for me....really, I'd be sound asleep and dreaming and in the dream I discovered I had a patient assigned to me that I never gave care to or even just looked in on. OH NO! What a horrible feeling! I would wake up with my heart pounding because I knew I was in trouble for this oversight.

Since OP entered this post in 2013, I'm assuming the mix-up was resolved one way or another....?

 

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