anxiety about an occurance report

[Katniss88]

I am really nervous and upset about an occurance report that I was involved in. I haven't talked to my manager about it yet, but my nerves always bother me when anticipating what may happen. The incident happened the last day I worked. I came in and got report from a nurse who tends to be long winded and was trying to talk about two patients at one time just because they both had a codeine allergy. Both patients were prescribed hydrocodone for pain, so she went on to tell me that the dr switched them to oxycodone because of the codeine allergy. I didn't understand why because I have seen numerous patient's with a codeine allergy who can tolerate hydrocodone or oxycodone with no problem. So I didn't think anything of it because those were his orders. The nurse was giving both patients oxycodone for pain. One patient had orders in the computer for the oxycodone, the other patient didn't so she was charting the administration under nurses notes. So I go ahead and put the order in the computer so the administration can be charted correctly because I thought there was an order for it. We normally don't look at the charts till towards the end of our shift, unless a doctor comes and writes new orders. So while I looked in the chart I found an order for the oxycodone for one patient, but I didn't see one for the other patient. Then I thought maybe the doctor told her to give the oxycodone and d/c the hydrocodone, but he didn't write the order and she didn't either. I did find where she d/c the hydrocodone and wrote the administration in nurses notes. I didn't remember to pass this information along in report to the next nurse, so I get a phone call later saying there wasn't an order and the doctor didn't know about it. So I'm involved in an occurance report because it's a huge medication error and patient safety issue and I'm afraid of loosing my license and my job.

[Katniss88]

I talked to my manager and explained to her the reasons for my actions. So then I had to write a statement so that it could be handed in to HR. I asked her if I was going to get a write up and she said yes,which I knew was going to happen because I deserved it. So as of now I am awaiting my fate. I am scared I might lose my job, but what terrifies me the most is losing my license. I don't have another career to fall back on so I would be in a really bad position, maybe I'll join the military (which is what I thought I wanted to do years ago). I'm expecting the worst and hoping for the best.

[Katniss88]

I got a three day suspension without pay, which is better than what I was expecting. I have learned my lesson when it comes to being too trusting. In the future I will not trust what another nurse tells me, I will go look for orders in the chart myself in order to prevent a huge mistake. This type of mistake could have been prevented if I would have looked in the chart at the beginning of my shift. So from now on I will make it part of my routine to review patient charts at the beginning of my shift, especially for any medication orders that I'm unsure of. I'm just hoping and praying that I won't make any more mistakes because it seems like in the past few months I keep make one mistake after the other.

[TeeKay12]

I'm glad it was only a suspension. Anytime the off-going nurse tells me about a change in the orders and then adds "but I haven't entered it (in the electronic chart) yet" I always remind them that I cannot enter it, as I was not given the order. I've had a few get upset with me, but I hold firm. It only takes a few seconds to lose your license. I worked too hard for that little piece of paper for it to be taken away!

Not to say I haven't made mistakes. Early in my career, I gave hydrocodone instead of oxycodone. I thought I was a goner! Thank goodness I had a manager who didn't feel like filling out paperwork! I was reprimanded and that was the end of it.

We all make mistakes. The good/excellent nurses aren't the ones who don't make mistakes. They're the ones who learn from them.

[Katniss88]

I'm so ashamed by it and not feeling very confident in myself at this point, but I'm glad that my patient wasn't harmed. One of my nursing instructors told me that a nurse is lying when they tell you they have never made a medication error.