Med error

Nurses Medications

Published

If a med error occurred on a med that required both a Rn and a supervisor's signature and it wasn't fatal are both Rn's equally at fault? If one is reported should both of them be reported? Will a facility likely report for a no harm med error? Also is there a limit one can have on their license because I think I heard you can only have 3 but that seems crazy. I don't have any and I definitely don't want any.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

There is no "set limit" on med errors set by the BON. It depends on the error and the med. Without knowing details it's impossible to answer your question. However if multiple nurse are involved then yes all should be written up.

Specializes in Pedi.

What kind of med requires a supervisor to sign off on it?

I have never known a facility to report a med error to the BoN. It is not true that there's a limit to the number of med errors you can commit before action is taken against your license. Action may be taken the first time if the error was proven to be gross negligence. Action may, OTOH, never be taken against your license.

I agree that there is no limit. I would think corrective action would depend on your facilities specific rules and procedures. I would think that if two people had to sign off on it, then both would be accountable. Then again, it is the nurse administering the meds duty to once again triple check the med, dose, route, pt, etc. prior to administering.

If a supervisor cosign was required, why didn't the administering nurse obtain their signature? It would be the administering nurse at fault. The supervisor may not have even know about it. How could you be written up as the supervisor if no one told you they were giving something that needed to be double checked?

Also, action from the BON, as others have said, can be taken on the first offense.

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