Ethical question...what would you do?

Ugh! Now that the incident report has been filed, do you think the situation that promoted the med error has been rectified? 40 pts. and passing meds by yourself... geesh! The charge on duty that night bears some responsibility too.

At my facility, an acute care hospital, the powers that be generally frown upon hiring second year RN students as LPNs. They figure the orientation is more intensive and longer than with an LPN that's graduated from an LPN program. An LPN would have a broader scope of practice than a nurse tech in this area.

Sorry to hear about your experience. Hope things get better from here.

I just got back from talking to the director. She is a very sweet woman! She gave me a hug and told me that everything was fine. She read the incident report and talked to the RN on duty that night. She has recommended that I stay on orientation for a few more weeks. We discussed my medication error and she told me to just make sure I look at the medications carefully. She also said the RN now has keys to the medication cart and it is her responsibility to put up the narcotics when she signs for them, not me. Anyway, she said the night shift RN reported that it was a very quiet night...they all slept like babies!

As far as pay, they are supposed to get this whole mess taken care of for me. I guess students get paid according to the number of credit hours they have earned in school so far. Has anyone ever heard of this at other VA's?

i'm sorry you are having such a horrible time. i am a brand new rn in a ltc and am getting out as fast as possible. i have made med errors here that i would never have made at a hospital simply because there is absolutely no time. when you have 20-40 people to give meds to with an average of 7 different medications each, you are going to make a mistake sometime along the way. i know this advice may not be what you want to hear, but my suggestion is getting out of the va and going to a good hospital where you can work with some experienced, knowledgable nurses. i don't know if it's just where i work, but i have found a serious lack of expertise among the nurses compared to hospital nursing.

hope everything works out for you! :)

(p.s. don't keep stressing about the lortabs--you've more than learned a lesson on med errors! i think everyone on this bb has made more mistakes than they are willing to admit.)

i don't know if it's just where i work, but i have found a serious lack of expertise among the nurses compared to hospital nursing.

hope everything works out for you! :)

(p.s. don't keep stressing about the lortabs--you've more than learned a lesson on med errors! i think everyone on this bb has made more mistakes than they are willing to admit.)

it's obvious you're a new grad and have much more to learn. much more.

leslie

This is why nurses are said to "eat their young".snip ....We all make mistakes at some point or another (we're not perfect). The important thing now, is to own up to your mistake. Every error we make - we should learn from. This will make you a better nurse. I bet, from now on, you will always look at the drug name on packages. FYI: whoever signs for the medicines (especially narcotics), should be the one to put them in the cart. These things you will learn along the way. I would be more worried about you if you "DIDNT CARE"..Cheer up, dont be so hard on yourself.

Agree on all points. Interesting twist this thread took when I checked back to comment on the first issue.

Dorothy

I just got back from talking to the director. She is a very sweet woman! She gave me a hug and told me that everything was fine. She read the incident report and talked to the RN on duty that night. She has recommended that I stay on orientation for a few more weeks. We discussed my medication error and she told me to just make sure I look at the medications carefully. She also said the RN now has keys to the medication cart and it is her responsibility to put up the narcotics when she signs for them, not me. Anyway, she said the night shift RN reported that it was a very quiet night...they all slept like babies!

As far as pay, they are supposed to get this whole mess taken care of for me. I guess students get paid according to the number of credit hours they have earned in school so far. Has anyone ever heard of this at other VA's?

It would have been interesting to see what reaction you got had you pulled your head above the radar about the tylenol. My advice is to learn to pick your battles/issues as you can see Nursing is filled with moments where you will need all the friends you have in your corner.

Dorothy

i'm so glad it worked out for you ks.

you sound very accountable, and you'll go far in nursing.

wishing you peace,

leslie

I have one peice of advice. make sure that you have a copy of the incident report. Even though the manager said everything is okay. I would keep a record for future reference. Everyone has made at least one med error. Even though it can be devastating at the time, you can always learn from them. We are the only profession where we are expected to be perfect, and as much as we try we are not. The best nurses know how to ask for help when need it and admit it when they make a mistake. As for the apap. Stock should be available for nurses if needed. Unlike other jobs, You can not leave unless you are dying(and then only after count and notes are done) The facility should provide basics. If we need something and it not in stock we can call the pharmacist for it.

could someone please explain to me why taking medication from a patient seems to be generally regarded as "stealing", yet taking it from ward stock isn't. as a manager whose job it is to maintain my department's resources within a budget (amongst other things), i resent the widely accepted pilfering that is rife in my facility. if it isn't nailed down - someone will take it. hospital staff seem to think that their employer is responsible for providing free drugs, pads, stationery, food - you name it. it's stealing.

People who steal will also lie to cover themselves. Can you ask the DON about the policy on taking pt meds, as you have seen this done and it seems to be accepted practice, so you wonder what the parameters are.

Sometimes you have to choose your battles...

To the CEO, whom I agree with regarding her (or his) post, did you ever take a facility generated pen home? Even by mistake? Same thing....