Anyone not making med errors?

[fleur-de-lis]

I was wondering if there are any nurses out there who have been practicing for some time and have not had a med error. I had a near miss and my precptor mentioned that eventually everyone has one. This scares me to death! I know mistakes happen, but I don't want to make one that could cause a patient to go bad. Any thoughts?

[fleur-de-lis, BSN, RN]

another point to consider, doctors are human too. "we" have to stop and think about their orders for our patients and if indeed it is the right patient.

no doubt! i learned that lesson when an md ordered a k rider for a new admit with a k level of 5.5!!! uh, i'm not hanging that one!

big thanks to everyone who responded. i will definitely keep my healthy fear but realize that we are human as well. thank you!:flowersfo

[SmilingBluEyes]

Errors happen. Owning up and learning from them, is a requisite for being an excellent nurse. Preventing them is the key. It's hard, but we have to disallow interruptions to distract us from verifying what we are doing when giving meds. Most of the time, other thing can wait. When you are in the process of preparing and giving meds, be in the habit of disallowing any interruptions, unless they are out and out emergencies.

Good luck, from an RN who has made med errors, that fortunately,. did NOT result in harming anyone but my own ego.

[TazziRN, RN]

No doubt! I learned that lesson when an MD ordered a K rider for a new admit with a K level of 5.5!!! Uh, I'm not hanging that one!

Big thanks to everyone who responded. I will definitely keep my healthy fear but realize that we are human as well. Thank you!:flowersfo

Uh-huh!!! I once had a pt in a junctional rhythm. His private doc came in to eval and admit him, and he wrote orders for a lidocaine protocol! I refused, he insisted. I went to my charge, who tried to talk to him. He insisted. We went to the ER doc, who tried to talk to him. He insisted. I passed it on to the ICU nurse, who wanted to know "Who the *(&!! ordered that???" The doc did cancel the order, but only because nobody would follow it!

[Jo Dirt]

During RN school, I worked as an LPN. The first place I went was a little private nursing home (150 beds), and I only lasted a few days (maybe a week).

The place scared me to death. It was staffed on day shift with 3 LPNs who divided the halls equally and did all treatments and meds. On my first day of passing meds to 50 little old people, I asked why NO ONE wore an armband. The director of the home felt armbands were undignified, and instead relied on Polaroid shots taken on the person's admission to the home.

I looked at the photos of these little old men and women, and in the shots they're all dressed up nice in their Sunday best, shaven, permed blue hair, etc.

Then I look at the people in front of me.

:stone

I went to the director and told her of my concern, and that I really didn't feel comfortable with how they did things; she was very nice, and we agreed that I'd resign, no notice needed.

That is how it is done at the nursing home where I used to work. A lot of those little old people look the same.

[fronkey bean]

Errors happen. Owning up and learning from them, is a requisite for being an excellent nurse. Preventing them is the key. It's hard, but we have to disallow interruptions to distract us from verifying what we are doing when giving meds. Most of the time, other thing can wait. When you are in the process of preparing and giving meds, be in the habit of disallowing any interruptions, unless they are out and out emergencies.

Good luck, from an RN who has made med errors, that fortunately,. did NOT result in harming anyone but my own ego.

Amen, Amen, Amen:yeahthat: