Made mistakes

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hey everyone. So I had a tough shift recently. I missed an order to discontinue a PCA, missed that an epidural was still running, didn't pull two foley catheters and delayed starting a tube feeding because I had no clue what to do and couldn't find anyone to ask. I admitted the foleys to the nurses I gave report to, and they acted like it was no biggie. I also admitted my failure about the tube feeding. When I found out about missing the PCA, I owned up to that as well. Well, I get a text today from a friend that an email was sent to my manager about my mistakes by a nurse I was on shift with and that the nurse I gave report to went around griping about me and encouraging the email. I'm a new grad, and have been off orientation for about 6 weeks. I feel like such a crappy nurse and a failure. I sent an email to my manager requesting to meet with her to go over my mistakes and to learn from them. I've lost trust in the two coworkers for not talking about this with me and running straight to the manager. What else can I do? I know at the end of the day we all make mistakes, no one was seriously injured, I owned up to my mistakes and am trying to fix my shortcomings. Trying to stop beating myself up over this but it's hard.

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Specializes in Oncology.

How many patients did you have that shift? How often are you missing things on a typical shift?

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I had 4 patients and usually don't miss stuff like that. My friend even texted me and asked if I was okay, that this is not like me.

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It's possible that your co-workers feel they've lost trust in you, as well.

That's a lot to overlook in one shift ...especially with four patients. It's probably not a bad idea that the manager was notified. Someone needs to get to the root of the problem(s), and it's not the responsibility of the day shift nurse that you gave report to.

As a new grad, I got off to a pretty bumpy start, so I do sympathize. I think your email to the manger was a good idea.

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I understand that. The order to d/c the PCA was put in at 0655 (I was day shift) and I never saw it nor was it mentioned by anyone. I need to learn how to dig up orders. The epidural was absolutely my fault. The pain team had gone in and I assumed. I was unsure about removing the foleys because one of the patients having a PCA and the other the epidural. Again my fault for not asking. So asking about the proper protocol is on my list. I'll also take complete ownership of the delay in getting the tube feed started. I realize I let my coworkers down and I'll work hard to prove myself. All this happened on the other side of our unit that I haven't been on in a while. I just don't know how to stop beating myself up about it. I made mistakes, I've owned up to them and I'm trying to fix it.

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I understand that. The order to d/c the PCA was put in at 0655 (I was day shift) and I never saw it nor was it mentioned by anyone. I need to learn how to dig up orders. The epidural was absolutely my fault. The pain team had gone in and I assumed. I was unsure about removing the foleys because one of the patients having a PCA and the other the epidural. Again my fault for not asking. So asking about the proper protocol is on my list. I'll also take complete ownership of the delay in getting the tube feed started. I realize I let my coworkers down and I'll work hard to prove myself. All this happened on the other side of our unit that I haven't been on in a while. I just don't know how to stop beating myself up about it. I made mistakes, I've owned up to them and I'm trying to fix it.

If the PCA order was put in at 6:55 and you start report at 7:00, I wouldn't even consider that a mistake. Also, what kind of "sith nurse" works days? I just assumed you worked nights, I guess.

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I'm rotating shift, mostly days. My love of Star Wars is known on the unit so this seemed a fitting name. It was this or Darth Nurse (which I have on a t-shirt).

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Specializes in Med Surg/ Pedi, OR.

Make it your goal to be a better nurse. Let it go...

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Make it your goal to be a better nurse. Let it go...

I second this thought - Everybody makes mistakes and it does not appear that any of your patients suffered a negative outcome as a result. Meet with your manager, work on your time management skills - ignore the gossip (difficult I know) and move on.

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

OP, are you guys computerized at your facility? We make walking rounds at the bedside. Each room has its own computer. What we do is go into each room, log on, and pull up the patient's file. Here we glance at lab results, admitting diagnosis, current orders, and new orders. That's how we catch orders that our physicians notoriously enter at shift change. In a nutshell, we give report from the patients' chart.

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i think needing to go right next to a pt to check on the computer is utterly stupid and ridiculous

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Nurse+Star Wars fan=my kind of person :)

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