No room for errors?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a soon to be new grad (May) and I am starting on a tele/stepdown unit at a large hospital. I got to thinking that it would be nice to know from some seasoned nurses where exactly there is NO ROOM for error in everyday life as a nurse. I know that accuracy is important at all times, especially with meds, but after many years of nursing what are the times when you know you just can't make mistake?? I am thinking with BP meds and insulin, also when administering blood products. In other words, what procedures/meds still scare you somewhat after many years?? Thanks this will help me so much!!

Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.

#3 is just really messed up.

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Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

I think Tazz meant that simply making a mistake should not be the end of the world. Many mistakes have no actual consequences -not that its OK to make them (its a given we should all try to maintain a 'mistake-free' status) but there are mistakes that happen where no damage is done -should the new nurse beat herself up over that? Learn from your error. Be careful. Strive for perfection.

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Without getting into the whole story, let me tell you that when I was a nursing student I made a mistake. (passed NCLEX and currently job seeking) I didn't hurt the patient but my nursing instructor drilled me and made me feel like a peice of feces. I cried. Then had to gather myself to treat and continue with my care. Will I ever do it again? No. Did I learn from it? Yes. I will always remember it. Perhaps thats why my instructor was so evil. Later, she ended up apologizing to me after finding out from the nurse the whole entire circumstances. So it wasn't all my fault but I still could've dealt with it differently. I have yet to hear of a nurse that says, "I never have made a mistake" No nurse is immortal. I am a new nurse but have friends that are nurses-some of them retired, some of them have died of old age. But they all have guided me and thats what we all need. Support eachother and don't eat the young. If you made a mistake, accept it, take responsibility, move on-don't dwell. Turn it into positive. You are taking it seriously that itself means that you care and don't want it to happen again. Its time to move on. My dad has always said, Mistakes are not for nothing as long as you learn from them.

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I think Tazz meant that simply making a mistake should not be the end of the world. Learn from your error. Be careful. Strive for perfection.

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What Gromit said. No, of course it's not okay to make mistakes, but if they're made, don't think that you are a bad nurse or an unsafe one. Analyze how it happened, think of ways to prevent it from happening again, and go on. What I meant was, whether or not there was harm done, if you learn from it and never do it again, you're human. If you keep making the same mistake over and over, there's definitely a problem.

I made a major mistake recently, one that has had me place on admin leave. Do I regret it? Of course. Was the pt harmed? I don't think the outcome would have changed, but I don't know for sure. Am I going to make the same mistake again? Oh, aych-ee-double-toothpicks, NO!!!! It was a serious mistake but it is not the end of my world. I will learn from it and go on.

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We no longer mix our own drips in the ICU(morphine, epinepherine, insulin infusions).

The pyxis gives a lot less room for error for selecting the wrong drug.

There is a greater awareness of lookalike and soundalike drugs, and more effort to differentiate.

All our PCA's and some high risk infusions are double checked with another nurse.

In many ways, errors have become harder to make. Do not be afraid, but a little extra caution will serve you well.

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Specializes in Telemetry/CCU/Home Health.

Thanks for all of your replies, it helps to go in knowing all of this stuff!!

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I am curious to know what happened with #1 & #3

1. After a long 6 hour code (placed chest tube and watched all the blood drain from her body and try to replace it) she died...we are a small rural hospital can't handle major heart surgery.

2. Nurse pulled line per MD order and pt stroked and died next day.

3. Line pulled several days ago but pt had multiple problems anyway and died today..not related to line I don't think.

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That doctor was so messed up. He should have screamed for a heart surgeon, not a cardiologist.

How'd the patient do?

Better yet, I'm confused as to how this is the nurse's fault. :uhoh21: :uhoh21: :uhoh3: :uhoh3: :uhoh3:

We are a small rural hospital there are no heart surgeons.

All of the patients died.

None of these were the nurses fault but they were situations where the nurse was left holding the bag . The OP wanted to know what procedures still scare us, well any procedure has potential to turn deadly. I am always a little scared in situations where I am not in controll but may be involved.

Don't ever get too comfortable with any procedure.

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None of these were the nurses fault but they were situations where the nurse was left holding the bag . I am always a little scared in situations where I am not in controll but may be involved.

Don't ever get too comfortable with any procedure.

A-MEN!!!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
1. After a long 6 hour code (placed chest tube and watched all the blood drain from her body and try to replace it) she died...we are a small rural hospital can't handle major heart surgery.

2. Nurse pulled line per MD order and pt stroked and died next day.

3. Line pulled several days ago but pt had multiple problems anyway and died today..not related to line I don't think.

So, what happened to the doc who did this?

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
mistakes are ok? what planet do you nurse on, tazz? :lol2: :uhoh3: :monkeydance:

given that we're all human, mistakes are inevitable. everybody makes them -- any nurse who claims she hasn't ever made a mistake is either lying or too stupid to recognize that she's made one. although i can't speak for tazzi, i'm thinking that she means to do the best you can to avoid mistakes, but if you make one and own up to it immediately they usually aren't the end of the world. it's amazing what the human body can recover from!

when you do make a mistake, admit it as soon as you recognize it and notify an authorized prescriber so that steps can be taken to mitigate the damage. and make sure you also tell your supervisor as soon as possible -- they'd rather hear about it from you than from someone else. (a raging physician, a family threatening to sue, etc.)

may all your mistakes be little ones, easily rectified and unnoticed by the powers that be!

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So, what happened to the doc who did this?

1. This doc and his group left the facility shortly thereafter.

2. Liine was put in in OR I don't know if there was a lawsuit or not.

3. Patient had cardiac arrest days after the line was pulled and so far nothing has happened to the doctor.

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