Can I be forgiven

Published

I would like some honest nursing opinions-

At the beginning of this year my license was suspended for giving 6 nursing home residents a flu shot instead of a t b test, there was an LPN that was with me who I had double check the medication. 24 hrs later the residents had raised red marks where I had given them the shot, I realized my mistake, notified the doctors and families. NO ONE was injured, sick or died from this mistake. However, I was fired in 2 days and was told they were going to contact the professional board, long story short my license was suspended & told I had to take a class on medication errors then write them a letter explaining why I should have my license back (to this day I beat myself up for what I did) the class is expensive & costs more than I make in 2 weeks at my present job. My thing is should I make some short corners to pay for this class & beg mercifully to the state to have my license back? If so who would hire me? :confused:

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If you really want your license back, you'll have to knuckle under and do what they say.

As for getting hired, I would emphasize that you understood your error, took the corrective actions required by the board, and are motivated to move forward. It might not hurt to take an additional class on med admin., just to show that you really want to learn. Let the prospective employer know how you learned from your error. Be contrite...DO NOT TRY TO MAKE EXCUSES OR JUSTIFY WHAT HAPPENED! It doesn't matter if someone else checked your meds...you still made the error.

No one was harmed, ultimately. Try not to beat up on yourself too much. Every nurse makes a med error at some point.

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Specializes in insanity control.

If you really want your liscense back then yes do what have to to take the class. Explain to the BON how you have felt since you made this mistake. Take responsibility for it and don't give excuses. I think that you may not have as hard a time as you think working. Everyone makes mistakes. Just be honest about it and let them know up front what happened and how you have corrected it so that will not happen in the future.

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Time to be honest with yourself. You made a mistake..... stuff happens. You admitted your mistake... good for you. Now you must pay the penalty for that mistake. OK! If you really want to continue nursing.. get your license back... move on... ????? Take the classes.. do what ever is necessary and required of you by the board. After much thought, write that letter stating why you feel you should get your license back. Be honest with the folks you apply for work with. And move on....... if that's what you really want. Lots of good nurses make mistakes and learn from them. They go on to be better nurses. Good luck to you.

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Eat it, learn from it, and get on with life. You'll use this to be a better nurse.

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Here is the problem that I see. You did not make one drug error, you made several. All over and over again. Harm did happen. Many people are allergic to eggs. From your post, I am not sure this has sunk in. Wrong drug, wrong route. The BON suspended you for public safety, or do you not realize that? You got off easy. Small price to pay, education to get your license back.

At your job you might have worked side by side with an formerly impaired nurse. You would never know and you are not supposed to know who has had diciplinary action taken on their license. It is none of anyone's business, except your employer.

The only way you can be forgiven is if you rise above this and take the corrective action the Board of Nursing demands of you. You do this, you will be forgiven.

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The only way to find out if any one will hire you is to attend the class, write the letter- and get your license back. I feel confident that you will work again if you really want to.

Would I hire you? I must honestly say that I would have to interview you to get a feel on if you really wanted to work in the position available. Would I personally rule you out for making that error? I can honestly say no I wouldn't. I know med errors happen- and I know that not all nurses report them. You did so I would think that you have a a sense of accountability. I would have to go on your experience and how you presented yourself, and your goals at the interview.

Good luck in whatever you choose. I honestly think it is time to stop "kicking" yourself for your mistake. You did it, you learned from it, now time to move on. Don't let that mistake define what your future can be.

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I was exhausted and overworked. I had a kind DON who did NOT report me to the BON and I was lucky. I took responsibility and used it as a learning experience. THIS is what future employers will want to hear.

Can you forgive yourself? Yes, it's a tough lesson....remember your good points and everything you did right through the years, and rise above it.

I love the last poster's comment: Do not let this one incident define you.

Best wishes!!:kiss

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

fab Writes: "Be contrite...DO NOT TRY TO MAKE EXCUSES OR JUSTIFY WHAT HAPPENED! It doesn't matter if someone else checked your meds...you still made the error."

Exactly. Take responsibility for YOUR mistakes, suck it up, take the recommended corrective action, and move on.

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Specializes in jack of all trades, master of none.

I am wondering one thing, were you intending to give a TB test, and inject the flu vac intradermal?

Not like it matters anymore, you are beating yourself up, enough. I was just wondering.

It seems a bit harsh to take away your license for a mistake of that caliber. But, I think you should go for getting your license back. You were honest enough to admit the mistake, & you took accountability for it. Good for you. Now, if only all nurses would be so honest.

This is part of the reason that nurses don't report errors. They are afraid of punishment this harsh. I could see maybe having you take a refresher & a med course, maybe put your license on probation, until the completion of the courses.

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Honestly, I can say that I would be pretty upset if I were one of those patients. Patients trust us as nurses to do the right thing. I was just wondering though, how could you not realize that you were adminstering the flu shot instead of the TB test? I'm certaintly not trying to beat up on you. This is a serious situation and someone could have been allergic to eggs. I would take the course and get my license back, but rethink what was happening at the time you administered the flu shot. Why did the LPN not pick up the mistake? Just curious. Were you tired at the time, did you feel overworked? I see that you said earlier this year this happened, why are you waiting now to think about getting your license back- do you have to wait a certain period of time? WEll, good luck to you. They say you learn from your mistakes and it sgreat that you admitted your mistake. Now its time to move on, even if it's hard to do so.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by Chrislynn2003

Honestly, I can say that I would be pretty upset if I were one of those patients. Patients trust us as nurses to do the right thing.

Everyone knows we are only human-amd humans do make mistakes....No harm was done here-but you are going to have to own it and learn from it...Jump through those hoops if you want to be a nurse
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