Getting over a med error, what now?

annabanana2 · Oct 25, 2015

Where was your instructor? I am a clinical instructor and my students NEVER have sole responsibility for administration of meds! They must always be given with my presence and co signature, never mind the fact that they can't even get into the med room or Pyxis without me to sign them in. Also the instructor should make the primary nurse aware which patients/what meds they are giving. Primary nurse is ultimately responsible for assuring meds are given, and your instructor is responsible for you. Boo on your instructor.

This isn't always the case with every school. When I was in school (only a few years ago) we had one clinical instructor for six or seven students, often spread out over two or maybe even three units. We took primary responsibility for caring for our one or two or three or four patients. We would check in frequently with the nurse who was assigned to our patients and s/he was probably the first person I would have asked if I had a patient-specific question. I saw my clinical instructor when s/he was supporting me to do a task or skill I didn't have much experience with, and we gave him/her "report" in the morning and at various points during the day. But nobody was administering meds WITH me. That would've been incredibly time-consuming and probably impossible for a CI to do with every student. The only meds we had to have double-checked before administering (which was usually with the nurse) were insulin, anticoagulants and narcotics.

CmacD · Oct 25, 2015

Thanks so much everyone for your feedback and encouragement! I feel much better now and had great support from my instructor (who absolutely does take responsibility) and the charge nurse on the unit. She has told me she still trusts me and that I am one of her strongest students. I was told that I was extremely professional and that my primary should have taken earlier steps. My instructor does have seven of us and she cannot be everywhere which is why we are also under a primary nurse. I have also spoken with some of my friends who are nurses and I hear the same thing over again. It is good that I care so much because it will only make me better. I have done much reflection over the past few days and have some ideas that I will try to help me in the future! Thanks again!!!

StudentBSN1 · Oct 25, 2015

I have made med errors. Thankfully minor ones. I'd rather miss a med than give the wrong one. I to triple checks on every med. Even with triple checks it's still possible to miss med.

Nothing adverse happened. Forgive yourself and move on.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Oct 26, 2015

Where was your instructor? I am a clinical instructor and my students NEVER have sole responsibility for administration of meds! They must always be given with my presence and co signature, never mind the fact that they can't even get into the med room or Pyxis without me to sign them in. Also the instructor should make the primary nurse aware which patients/what meds they are giving. Primary nurse is ultimately responsible for assuring meds are given, and your instructor is responsible for you. Boo on your instructor.

It depends on what semester and instructor. Some let you do it after you prove competency, others do not. Some let you go with the nurse and others want to be there. We are going to be in the nursing world soon, so we better get comfortable with it.

OP, it's a mistake that lots of people have made. I know I would feel absolutely awful also. The good thing is your instructor is good and encouraging which I think will help you in the long run. I see so many horror stories on here about people getting kicked out of programs or failing for a med error.

Realize your school, instructor, or the hospital will never put you in a spot where you could kill someone. You are learning. I've done Lovenox many times in the past when I was on Coumadin years ago. Anytime I was going for a dental procedure or a scope I had to do Lovenox for 5 days prior. I know there were a couple of times I missed an injection just due to being so busy. I was always good and never had an issue. This is a prophylactic injection so it's not even like in my situation where I was depending on it to work with my blood so I didn't have a blood clot. This is just a prevention measure where most people will never have an issue.

I'm not trying to downplay a med error. But, as others have said, you won't make the mistake again.

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2015

Learn from it. Move on

sonjiro123 · Oct 31, 2015

Please do not beat yourself up about this. The way I've learned from my mistakes (including med errors) is to backtrack and try to figure out how can I do it differently. One thing that I did do when I got my FIRST med error was to have my peer review my MAR and I review hers. It works because there are a fresh pair of eyes reviewing. It is best to partner with someone you barely know. They will actually review it without trying to be polite....

I have 20+ years in this and feel you are going to be great at this. Why? You have a conscience.