Hello everyone,I am currently a nursing student and have 8 years of medical assisting experience under my belt. As a medical assistant I was always paranoid when I would administer any kind of injection or medication even after 8 years of doing it. For example when I would give a Bicillin I would triple check the medicine, the patient, allergies, injection site, etc. I would have 2 different coworkers check after me. I mean I would be so paranoid that after giving it I would think about it for hours and question if I gave it in the right location? Did I inject too fast? Was the person in pain because of the medicine or my doing? It's like I am a prisoner of my own thoughts. Don't get me wrong I love being overly cautious because it prevents medical errors. I am not a careless person by nature. But I am starting to feel like I am coming off as unconfident (to staff and to patients) and am driving myself crazy at home after work. As a nurse I know this will get worst due to the bigger scope of practice and responsibility. At the hospital I rotate at I see nurses give medication without a second thought (obviously after doing the rights of med administration). How do I get confident enough to not doubt my abilities? Advice?
Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN 1,547 Posts Has 6 years experience. May 29, 2016 You won't have time to obsess so much if you're working as a floor nurse. And you won't find two people with time to check up on your obsessions, either. Problem solved! I used to look up IM injections sites every time I gave an IM injection- even though I already knew them. Eventually, I stopped.
psu_213, BSN, RN 3,878 Posts Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant. Has 14 years experience. May 30, 2016 One of the advantages of becoming a nurse is that you will get a through education in medication administration--I'm sure a much more complete one than you got as an MA.
Been there,done that, ASN, RN 6,967 Posts Has 33 years experience. May 30, 2016 Could you have developed OCD? Should you get a professional evaluation for this?You are absolutely correct, your increased responsibility as a nurse will compound this issue.Good luck, let us know how it's going.
Flightless Bird 12 Posts Jun 1, 2016 Could you have developed OCD? Should you get a professional evaluation for this?You are absolutely correct, your increased responsibility as a nurse will compound this issue.Good luck, let us know how it's going.I wouldn't be surprised if I had a little bit of OCD but I feel like this may stem from lack of confidence. Almost like I don't "trust" myself. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt another person, this is why I also really think about what I am going to say before I say it. I am knowledgeable and I am confident in my education and abilities but I still don't trust myself because I know I am human and can and will make a mistake one day. I guess I am trying to ask how do I get over my "humanness"?
