How many mistakes have you made?

purplemania, BSN, RN · May 17, 2004

oh, for heaven's sake. If that is the worst you have done, be proud. I don't mean to trivialize the point, but there is no value in beating up on yourself. You learned from the mistake and you will be more conscientious in the future, I am sure. Chalk it up to experience.

lsyorke, RN · May 17, 2004

If those are the only mistakes you've made your lucky.Nurses are human and we make mistakes. Relax!!!

Ortho_RN · May 17, 2004

Wow you are doing good then... I have made several mistakes, and I don't beat myself up about them.. As long as it isn't something that endangers my patiens life, then I chalk it up to being human... Cause we are and we WILL make mistakes..

Chibi Baka · May 18, 2004

I'm terrified Im going to make a REALLY bad mistake when i become a nurse, but i dont know, I dont reallly hold grudges against myself... which is good..less stress=really good.

nurseunderwater · May 18, 2004

oh, for heaven's sake. If that is the worst you have done, be proud..

I just love this response...I could literally "hear" you saying it :chuckle

You sound like an awesome nurse to me.... :)

sharann, BSN, RN · May 18, 2004

To me, the fact that you are constantly policing yourself and bettering yourself tells me that you are a truly great and caring nurse(who happens to be human..heavens to mergetroid :) ). The mistake was one that I pray to have, a missed ABiotic, rather than giving the wrong med to the wrong pt(which is also a human error, but one we try to minimize by slowing down to triple check).

Don't feel bad hon!

rollingstone · May 18, 2004

Wow, relax. You may have made a few errors over the years, but they certainly aren't Sentinel Events. We all make mistakes, even the best nurses. Learn from your mistake and move on. Good luck.

Tephra · May 18, 2004

Listen, hon, my nursing instructors told me (first semester), "If you meet a nurse who tells you she/he has never made a med error, they're either brand-new or they're lying."

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt (LOL! or is it a hair shirt...because that's what we all feel like we're wearing when we realize what we've done!). I use my mistakes as examples to help teach the new nurses.

Better you realize that you made the mistake than never realize something happened at all. :)

LPN4Life · May 18, 2004

10 years and 3 mistakes, I'd say your WonderWoman nurse:balloons: I've had several mistakes, all could have been potentially dangerous, but as they say we are human and we learn from our mistakes. I am more cautious now and make fewer mistakes, but there are still days when I have too much going and forget something..........don't beat yourself up over it, learn from it.

Stitchie · May 18, 2004

When I'm ten years in nursing if I can say that I can remember three mistakes, I'll be happy.

I make minor mistakes a lot in my ED, which is a slice of Hades most times. I'm new and I'm running my butt off.

But I'm going to take some of your methods and run with them. They sound like great ideas -- please keep them coming to this new ED nurse who needs every iota of help she can get!

Be proud, you've done awesome.

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 18, 2004

Be paranoid, be thorough, be forgiving of both yourself and supportive of coworkers when these kinds of things happen. I see all kinds of mistakes, missed orders, late orders, ignored orders, made up orders every day.

Best wishes.