7000 fatal med errors last year-where are theses nurses?

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hi my name is julie. i have been a nurse for 15 years and have loved almost every day. i can easily say it is my passion, however, less than a month ago, i made the first and only med error of my 15 year career. i hung a med that looked like pcn, but was not. it was a cardiac toxic drug and resulted in the almost immediate death of my beautiful pt, and the end of my life as ive known it. my spirit is broken, my ability to take the next breath, severely challenged. and the internal battle against the thoughts that are there to defeat and destroy me are constant.

i am feeling desperate to connect with anyone who has lived through this same horror. i have been trying in vain for over a week to find some way of linking up in a support group for nurses trying to get thru something like this. of the 310,000 med errors in this country last year, 7000 were fatal! where are all those nurses?!! are they all suffering alone like i am?

PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE BEEN THRU A SIMILAR SITUATION, CONTACT ME. I BELIEVE WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER SURVIVE IN A WAY OTHERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND. i am outraged that a support network does not exist for these nurses even with documented sucides reported.

any suggestions? thank you and i am so sorry for the somber theme. julie

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I feel your pain and will keep my fingers tightly crossed for your well-being.

:saint:

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Specializes in CVICU.

Oh wow, you broke my heart with this one. I am a new nurse (6 mo.), and this story is really sobering. I'll be anxiously awaiting other replies in hopes there are others to help support you.

Is it over for you as a nurse? I cannot imagine one mistake, even if it was as significant as this one, could be career-ending after 15 years of experience.

Whether or not you are not able to meet up with others in your situation (there must be others), I hope and pray you will get professional help during this time of coping. There is no shame in taking medication for depression, or seeing a therapist, and it could save your life.

Good luck, friend.

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I am soooo sorry. I know there must be other nurses out there who have had to endure similar situations. I hope that someone responds who can direct you to them.

Please do not beat yourself up over this mistake...I know that is easy for me to say. Although this is consuming you right now, you must also remember that through your 15 year career you have helped multitudes of people through very difficult times. You are not a bad person because of this, you are just a human being, no one is infallable (sp?). The Lord knows that you did not hang the wrong medication on purpose, you must be able to forgive yourself. Please do not be afraid to seek counseling. I will pray for you.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

I was going to send a PM, but then decided to just write it here for all to see. People make mistakes, every day. It's just that when nurses do, the potential for fatality is there. I am very sorry for you Julie, as I know how it feels.

In my graduate year as an RN, I was placed in the ICU for a rotation. After one month there, I administered potassium chloride into a burette and set the drip rate for one hour infusion. Unfortunately, when I returned to check it in 10 minutes, the entire infusion had run through, due to a malfunctioning IV roller clamp set. The patient arrested. He was resuscitated, but had suffered anoxic brain injury and was removed from support at his family's request.

The family and hospital adminstration were informed immediately, and many interview followed. Funnily enough, the doctors were much more supportive than the nurses, who suddenly seemed to forget checking the drug, or going over the administration with me. They just wiped their hands of it in many cases.

I know the feelings you are going through. I had to go through a Coroners Court investigation, make police statements, testify etc. It was very traumatic, with almost no support from either my employer or my nursing association. I had to fight even to get adequate legal representation.

As a graduate nurse, I considered quitting, or leaving ICU for a less acute area. However, what I decided has shaped my current career. I decided that I didn't do anything wrong, and was not going to be cowardly and leave. I decided instead to be the best nurse I could be, in that setting.

I went ahead and studied critical care at a tertiary hospital, became a CNS and did very well. I now work for a medical device company.

If you are a good person, you will feel guilty. However, this does not make you a bad person, or even a bad nurse. It just makes you a human that has made mistakes. I would join the others in suggesting counselling, as I know it helped me immensely to talk about what had happened. Feel free to PM me anytime you feel bad, or want to talk. It can happen to anyone - I'm sorry you are the one right now.

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Specializes in icu, neuro icu, nursing ed.

i am so-o-o sorry. you are in my prayers.

of those thousands of med errors around the country that you mentioned, the SYSTEM has been found to be at fault. please don't shoulder all the blame. anyone of us could do the same.

we should seldom make major life decisions bsed upon a single event. you cannot count the many, many good things that you did over the past 15 years! all the patients you have rescued from the brink, all the families you have consoled and supported, etc. the list is endless.

i hope and pray that you will connect with other nurses who have had a similar experience.

God be with you

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Although the nurse is ultimately responsible for medication administration errors, the entire facility system definitely comes into play in any sentinel event. In the ICU where I used to work, the pharmacy would routinely send vercuronium and other potent neuromuscular paralyzing agents unflagged through the tube system. These would be in inconspicuous 100 ml secondary IV bags, right along with the penicillin, ceftrioxone, zofran, magnesium, and any of a multitude of other IV medications. How very easy it would have been to mistake one bag for the other if the nurse was not diligently checking :eek: I discussed with the pharmacist how very dangerous this practice was, but I don't know if any action was taken. At the very least, these agents need to be flagged, sent separately from all other medications, and have two nurses sign-off before administering.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

I am so sorry. You are human and I am sure there were contributing factors. My personal fear of something like this has kept me out of acute care nursing. You have been a good nurse for 15 years. You need to find a way to forgive yourself and move on. I definitely think you would benefit from some counseling and you are very correct that there should be a support group for this. I wish I could help, but do no that you are supported.

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All of our thoughts and prayers are with you. I hope that you can find someone to talk to. Don't give up. Nursing needs compasionate people like yourself. Mistakes happen to everyone. We're human. Try not to beat yourself up. God Bless.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, , Home health, Education.

We just had a young (16) year old OB patient die when a medication was given IV instead of through her Epidural line. (in WI) When I first heard about it I felt crushed for the nurse. Obviously I felt terrible for the family but mistakes happen. I've made med errors in my 27 years nursing- fortunately none of them were fatal. I always think that everything happens for a reason- many times we never find out what reason. Maybe you will start up a support group for nurses who have gone through this trauma, maybe you will be on a committee to help find errors in the system to prevent this type of incident from happening again. You are a great nurse and don't forget that. You have a lot of support from your colleagues. Stay strong and get some counseling to ease your pain.

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But for the grace of God there go many of us. God Bless You, Supportneeded. I hope you find the support you need and I hope you find peace.

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Specializes in surgical, neuro, education.

((((((((((Huge Hugs supportneeded )))))) I am so sorry this happened to you. Med errors are so frightening and can be devastating to the nurse who actually gives the drug. Over my 20 years I have had several med errors--none lethal--but still I can never forget that first feeling of eating my heart when I realized I had given the wrong med to my patient. I would hate to see you give up nursing because of this mistake.

Mistakes DO happen and usually it is result of a breakdown in the system--it just happens that we as nurses are at the end of the line and it falls on our consciences and shoulders. Instead of berating yourself ask questions about why it happened. Were you short staffed? Was the med red flagged as a cardiac drug? What other safe guards does your facility have? Many are investing in automated med systems to avoid some of these med errors.

First make sure you have legal council. Next contact your Dr. and find some counsel. Your emotional health is most important right now. Yes there are over 7,000 lethal errors a year. You aren't alone--but in your grief no one else can feel the same way. I will be praying for you and hoping that ultimately you continue with nursing. The profession needs compassionate people like you.

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