I'm going to jail for sure!

In 1992, I was a brand new LPN (probably even had the new nurse smell) working on a busy med/surg floor. I was so proud and excited for my new career and took my job very seriously! I believe I was a week or 2 out of orientation, so I was really green!

One busy morning, each room on our ward was full, so we were really running. I had 2 women in one of my rooms both in thier 50's or early 60's. I was at the med cart carefully double and triple checking each pill while making sure I knew what they were for so I could appear confident and professional. There was a bunch of meds for bed #2, 12 pills I think total.

So, I walked into the room with the meds for the gal in bed #2. The lady in bed #1 caught me as I walked in and started asking me questions about a test she was having tomorrow and some other things. Meanwhile, she reached out for the pills and I gave them to her with a glass of water. She mentioned that she was short a bath towel and was wandering if I could grab her one. I said "sure" and left the room to retrieve one for her. I was on my way back to her room when it hit me, I just gave the wrong patient a whole lot of pills! One of my fellow nurses was coming towards me when I had this realization. She said my face lost every bit of color, even my lips went white! I felt my heart sink into my socks then began to cry!

I ran into the charting area and began to sob. The other nurses came in to see what was wrong, including my tough as nails head nurse! I could barely get the words out because I was crying so hard. I was sure that poor lady who was so nice will surely die thanks to me having a blonde moment!

My charge nurse was very calm. She said suck it up and let's go look at the MAR and see you gave her. Most of the meds luckily were some she was already on and some others that she wasn't weren't too bad. Her MD just happened to be on the floor at the desk signing orders off after his rounds. I had to pull myself together and tell him what happened. He too was very calm and looked over the MAR. He told me to just check her vitals every 30 mintues for a couple hours and call him if she had any abnormal results. I was starting to feel a little better by then.

Next I had to humiliate myself by calling the pharmacy and refilling the med drawer. Of course, they asked why and again I had to explain my oops.

My charge nurse told not to let on what had happened to the patient unless she had a reaction. So, I had to make up a story about needing more experience checking vitals and would be doing this alot on this shift. I took the room mates vitals as well just to make it look realistic.

After a few hours of no change in vitals or condition, I was feeling better and almost over it when she got company. I was coming out of another patient's room when I saw a police officer walking into her room. Immediately, I felt my self starting to cry again! Surely, she had found out and called the police!

A second trip into the charting room sobbing like a 3 year old visiblily disturbed my charge nurse. She came in and said "what did you do now?" I again found it hard to verbalize what was wrong through my tears but managed to tell her the cops were here to arrest me for what I did. That's when a big smile came over her face and she started to laugh! She said
"that police officer is her son you twit!"

After I composed myself I did laugh too. She was laughing so loud the staff came in and asked what was going on. Needless to say, I took a lot of ribbing for that for a long time.

Thankfully, the lady was fine and had no idea the turmoil I went through by that stupid mistake. When I was working with her for the next few days before she was discharged, I pretty much pampered her, answering her call light as fast as I could!

My charge nurse would bring that up every now and then over the next 9 years I worked on the floor. She said it was the best laugh she had in years.