New RN, already making mistakes

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello everyone,

I just graduated a BSN program and started my nursing career. I currently work on the med-surg floor with about 3 or 4 other LPNs and 2 other RNs. I feel overwhelmed and like I know absolutely nothing! I've already made 2 mistakes so far. One was a med error: I was to give xanax along with two other pain medications. I was told to hold one of the pain meds for an hour, take the blood pressure and then administer it if was normal since the patient was hypotensive from the meds during the previous shift. Well, I was taking care of another patient, which was total care patient..and forgot to give it. Too much time had lapsed and an incident report was done. This was my first night taking care of two patients (I know, not that much, but I was nervous this being my first time).

My second mistake was a documentation error regarding an assessment that was suppose to be done by the previous shift so I felt it was my responsibility to do it at the beginning of my shift. Well, at this point I'm taking care of 5 patients and still feeling overwhelmed/nervous. I asked the charge nurse about doing the assessment and charting it in the am and they said it was fine to do that. I'm documenting that I will perform the specific assessment in the am (I work 12 hour shifts), ask a nurse if it's right to do that and was told no that if state got a hold of it that it would look bad so I crossed a line through it and wrote error. As I"m doing this, the nurse tries to give me advice to draw a thick line though it...I panic, draw thick lines though it (it's still legible although now it looks like I tried to cover something up...which I guess in a way I did). I showed the charge nurse this and was told to just not do it again.

I'm worried about how this is making me look since this is my first job. All the nurses tell me I'm slow and I've made errors already. The charge nurse has told me that she thinks I'll be fine, just to work on giving medications on time since that's what really slows me down since I'm trying to be cautious.

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.:crying2:

All i can say is hang on for the ride. First few months are like that, but then you hit your groove. As far as the assesments, you usualy dont want to document that you will do somthing in the future. Just document it when it occurs and state why you are doing it at that time. And always remember when crossing out, one line. Im almost at my one year mark and i am berely begining to feel less stressed.

Thank you. I remember always being taught to draw just one line and had been doing it all this time (except for that one when I panicked). Are these types of mistakes common or will they see this as me being a bad nurse?

Since you are new I would prioritize on making sure the medication I give is correct. Remember to follow the rules you learned in school and the hospital's procedures. As far as the bp and pain goes, Was the patient still in pain? Sleeping? BP high or low? Alert and oriented? These are all the things a prudent nurse would look at before administering more pain medicine. A senior nurse once told me..."You can always give more medicine, but you can not take away a medicine already given". So, when I had orders like that I always started low and worked my way up. It is ok.

Incident reports are completed for the hospital only.

Never draw a heavy line through any documentation. Follow the rules you learned and your hospital procedures. I know you want to trust your co-workers that they are giving you the correct info..but as you have already seen they always do not. When in doubt, ask two coworkers. Follow your first instinct when documentating.

I do not see this as being a huge issue. With that being said, I am not dismissing your feelings. It is natural to feel scared and nervous. But remember when you overly stress you can not critically think. When things happen, step back for a second, never do anything hastily.

Every nurse has been a new nurse at one time or another. If your manager says you will be OK...she probably is right. Do not listen to other nurses who say you are slow, etc. Work on making sure you pass your meds at your allotted time. Remember it is a 24 hour facility. Good luck.

These are documentation errors. If you can read what is under the line it is ok. As long as it is totally not darked out. You most likely will not be seen as a bad nurse..just a new nurse.

I decided early on that passing meds correctly was more important than passing them quickly. You get faster as you get used to the process. It took me a while (many months) to let the timing not bother me as much. I start early and sometimes finish late but my patients are safe. I'm still in my first year but it's getting better as I get closer to the one year mark Hang in there!

Specializes in EDUCATION;HOMECARE;MATERNAL-CHILD; PSYCH.

i have to commend you...you are doing the right thing - being accountable for your actions and recognizing your errors. i wish all nurses would be like you.

my advice is to continue doing what you are doing:

1. recognizing your errors

2. seeking help

3. asking questions

remember, you are just starting this career. you are a human being. every single nurse has made mistakes. the idea is to make the mistake but learn from it. do not be afraid to ask for help. do not be afraid to delegate to other nurses and paraprofessionals.

as for documentation, you can always document later as long as you mark the documentation as a "late entry". read all your hospital's policy and procedures about legal documentaion.

it will get better! hang in there! you will be an awesome nurse!!

Specializes in LTC, medsurg.

There are reasons one makes a mistake and that's to learn. We ALL makes mistakes, we learn from them and move on. Think of it more postively and don't be so hard yourself. Okay?

Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

Remember to only draw a single fine line through the middle of any documentation and always draw a line from you signature at the end of documentation to the line at the end of the line in case your signature isn't at the end. This ensures that no one can come in behind you and add. There should be no blank lines in the nurse's progress notes when manually documenting.

Trust what you learned. A nurse advising you about something that you knew was wrong; I get it, she was advising you but you need to trust yourself.

Medication errors...oh please, everyone has made them. There's nothing wrong with keeping a notebook and jotting down hourly checks, etc... to remind yourself. You're doing just fine. It gets better.

I'm not a nurse yet but I have to say hang in there. :)

Being careful administering meds is a good thing. If it slows you down for a while that will be a lot better than med mistakes. Go easy on yourself. It takes a while to get your groove and you have a learning curve there.

Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.

Just slow down. Reading your post got me out of breath, I can only imagine your "real energy". ( yes, very jealous, as I could use some of it). But as a brand new nurse, try to slow down. There is a very large learning curve in nursing. You got to start at square one, idle there for a time, then move onto something else. Writing everything that must be done down, is imperative. You should not start patient care, before you have all your information on each patient, written down. Ask your charge nurse to then help you prioritize your tasks. Use the check box method here. Refer to it often, before you start a task and right after you finish one. This helps you to remember, patient c, needs BP and med in 10 minutes. Your second error, you second guessed yourself. That is why using your charge nurse, is in your best interest. She wants you to succeed and would have told you, yes, one neat line dated and initialed is required. You would not have felt rushed or overwhelmed, like you were when the other nurse says, NO, must be thicker. She sounds new too. So...

* Know you are new, have a learning curve, write everything down and consult your audit tool before and after every task. Do not rush through it, it is always better to be slow and accurate. Ask questions and write things down throughout your day. No distractions, when passing meds or charting. Use your charge nurse during these times, if help is needed. She wants you to succeed and you won't get 4 different responses or someone scaring you half to death. She is teaching you good nursing practice and company policy. Watch and listen to how she works. Slow down, and soon you will be able to multitask. Good luck! Peace!

Ps- take a deep breath, and give yourself the time everyone needs as a newbie. You are in no contest to be the fastest and have nothing to prove to the others on your floor. This is your learning time, use it wisely. Your charge is happy with you, so keep striving to be your best, not super nurse. She does not exist. Peace!

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