4th semester nursing student and feeling doubtful

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I started my preceptorship last week on the CICU unit night shift. My nurse and I went to pass meds and she was setting most of the IVs in the pumps and told me if I wanted to hang the Zosyn. I primed it hung it but didn't run it thinking she would do that. We left the room 6hrs later she realized the Zosyn wasn't running because it was still clamped. My patient was getting it for sepsis. I felt devastated and awful and now I am more fearful than ever. She hasn't told anyone about this and said not to worry and that I learned something from it and to be more careful. I am always careful to the point where nurses have told me before that I am too slow at med passes. Idk why I forgot to ask her if she wants me to run it or leave it for her to do that. Failure in communication caused a med error and a serious one at that in my opinion. I had never made a med error in school and I'm sad that it had to happen during my last semester preceptorship. Now I am doubting my abilities and feel extremely fearful. I can't seem to get over this and feel so awful. What if nursing isn't for me and I harm someone when I start working? How do I bounce back from something like this?

oncivrn

52 Posts

I think it is still fresh and you are upset about it understandably. Get another day under your belt and you will feel better. The more successes you have the more you will be able to get past the occasional missteps.

Seriously tho.if this is the worst mistake you ever make then be happy!

First of all, it is the preceptors responsibility to ensure that everything is A-OK with her patient before leaving the room. She is at fault, YOU ARE A STUDENT!!! What if you set it at the wrong rate? Was she not going to check your work? Secondly, we all do stuff that makes us doubt our abilities. You have to pick yourself back up and learn from the experience. You'll be fine.

Lavendergal

8 Posts

I agree that it is your nurses fault. Forgive yourself and let a few good nights make you feel better about your accomplishments. Hopefully that patient was OK, but please know that this is definitely your nurses responsibility to make sure you did everything correctly.

NICU Guy, BSN, RN

4,161 Posts

Specializes in NICU.

The pump should have alarmed "Occlusion" within 15 min. of starting the pump. How did 6 hrs go by without someone hearing the pump alarm? I agree with the others that it was your preceptor's responsibility to check your work. I also agree that if this is your biggest error, you have little to worry about. This is a lesson that in the future you won't make the same mistake.

SilleLu

150 Posts

The pump should have alarmed "Occlusion" within 15 min. of starting the pump. How did 6 hrs go by without someone hearing the pump alarm?

Some pumps don't...we have Alaris and if the drug is piggybacked, it will draw from the primary without alarming. That is assuming the primary is already running and it's the secondary clamp that wasn't opened.

SilleLu

150 Posts

to OP...we've all made mistakes. Yes, your nurse should have checked. Yes, you should have clarified. Learn from this mistake, and from the next one (yes, you will make another one). If every nurse that made a mistake quit, there wouldn't be any nurses :)

Lev, MSN, RN, NP

4 Articles; 2,805 Posts

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
The pump should have alarmed "Occlusion" within 15 min. of starting the pump. How did 6 hrs go by without someone hearing the pump alarm? I agree with the others that it was your preceptor's responsibility to check your work. I also agree that if this is your biggest error, you have little to worry about. This is a lesson that in the future you won't make the same mistake.

It was probably piggy-backed to IV fluids.

Lev, MSN, RN, NP

4 Articles; 2,805 Posts

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

OP, I commend your for being so conscientious. This is a mistake that most of us have made, even as RNs. Of course, it would have been better to catch this mistake much earlier than 6 hours. As a student who gave the med, you have some responsibility for this error. Part of the 5 rights is the right route which means that the roller clamp should be unclamped. Some pumps will tell you to make sure the roller clamp is unclamped. Ultimately, this was your receptors/instructors responsibility. She is not making a big deal about finding the error 6 hours later because it looks bad on her. I would not report this to anyone at this time. You learned from your mistake and you will remember to be super careful and never do this again. It is better to be careful and thorough and maybe a little slow rather than hasty and make an error. Haste is how mistakes are made. Remember to slow down and breathe when passing meds even when chaos is all around you. Tune everything out but the patient, the med, and the dose you are ordered to give. Don't beat yourself up about this one too much. You will be fine!

You have learned something very important about communication. When working with someone else, you must constantly specify who is doing what. If you had been by yourself, I don't think this would have happened. So, think of it as less of a medication error, and more of an opportunity for improved communication and teamwork.

ns808

112 Posts

It was piggy-bag running with NS, therefore the pump did not notify me about the clamped Zosyn.

ns808

112 Posts

Thank you everyone for your response. I have definetly learned my lesson to communicate better and be more careful! All of your responses are appreciated and makes me feel a bit better!

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