Dilemma

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Help me please! I'm stuck and don't know what to do. As most nursing students probably do, I often find myself thinking about patients that I've had in clinical. Usually I lay in bed at night and run through my day, and what I can do better, and so forth. Well recently I was thinking about one of my patients that I had near the beginning of the semester and for some reason began to question whether or not I made a med error. I don't know if my mind is playing tricks on me because we've been talking about all of the legal stuff in class, or if I really made the error, but it's driving me crazy. I remember I had to give 1/2 a pill of Reglan, and I remember going over my medications with my instructor, and taking my pill cutter in the room. For some reason though, I cannot remember cutting that pill!! At this point it was about 4 weeks ago, and I realize it's too late to help the patient if by some chance I DID make an error but I don't know why I can't get it out of my head! Should I mention this to my instructor even though I don't know for sure if I actually made an error? Or will I just look like a crazy person? I want to do the right thing, but I don't even know if I did anything wrong for sure. Advice please!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Let it go. Even if you did, there is no up side at this point. There is no way to know if you did or didn't. There is no way to fix it if you did or didn't. All it can do is cast a shadow of doubt over you as a student even though there is no way to know if you did or didn't. Let it make you more vigilant in the future and better at documentation.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

this is just anxiety eating you up. When you finally do make a mistake (and you will) you will probably make yourself sick over it. The purpose of legal lectures is awareness so you do not repeat errors or make a habit of them. Stop and think is the real message. But once it is done, it is done. Tell yourself this before you sleep - I must be a good nurse because I really want to do the right thing all the time. Once you convince yourself of that the anxiety might ease up. (P.S. You can be my nurse!)

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