Long story short, I almost passed a med to a patient without the instructor directly present.
Short story long, one of my postpartum patients was in pain and asked for a percocet to help relieve the pain. I told my instructor about the complaint and she went to the medcart and withdrew the narcotic and gave it to me to hold. Meanwhile, she was documenting on the computer another medication withdrawl for another student.
Me, not thinking went into the patients room and opened the med and put it in her hand. My instructor walks in and sees me and takes it back to properly document and administer.
Today, I was called to the directors office and had to recall the incident. I confessed the truth to what had happened and was told in lieu of dismissal, I had to write a paper on the Patient Safety Goals and was suspended from attending this weeks clinical, which I think is a fair punishment.
I just had to get this out so it's not stuck on my head all semester. The only thing I'm worried about is this somehow biting in the butt in the long run... which something tells me it will.
That's not a good thing...good thing the instructor saw you do it too. Because if you claim you gave the med, how does the patient know what it is you gave them? You could have pulled the old switcharoo and given them a Tylenol, and you take your 1 percocet home(not like it'll give someone a high or make them oober happy lol). Not to mention the whole 5 rights thing.
Yeah thanks for the support. I still feel REALLY bad about it. But I guess writing this paper and missing my clinical experience will ensure that this never happens again.
Now the only thing I would have to work on is proving to my clinical instructor is that I am a still a competent student, despite that mistake.
Yeah thanks for the support. I still feel REALLY bad about it. But I guess writing this paper and missing my clinical experience will ensure that this never happens again.
Now the only thing I would have to work on is proving to my clinical instructor is that I am a still a competent student, despite that mistake.
If was ever in a spot to hire people, Id be offering you a job right now. Not many people can take licks like that and come out saying that it is my fault, i learned something from it, and now i want to be BETTER. Kudos to you
It's real-life stories like this that MAKES me extra-careful. Thank you for sharing your story. It was a hard lesson learned. You're brave and you will do just fine.
I commend you for not trying to hide your mistake or putting the blame eslewhere:yeah:. I think you can actually use this as a "when I learned from a mistake" scenario. Learn from it and move on. Because of this, you will be a more diligent and careful nurse, I hope.
By the way, someone was kicked out of a program (not sure if it was a former student of my program or another program) for giving someone a rectal temp prob....orally.
I agree with the others, you made a mistake, and owned up to it! That is what's important. Nurses make mistakes everyday, some minor and others tragic. I completely understand how you feel. It is so exhausting going from school, studying, and then going to clinical on little sleep. You helped us not to make that mistake. I know how easy it is to do. There are so many times that my clinical instructor is so busy with everyone else and my patient needs pain meds, and I just want to give it to them, instead of waiting 45 minutes for her. I am sure as students we have all made mistakes one way or the other.
I am... they recommended I see someone in regards to getting diagnosed for ADD or ADHD, which I'm pretty sure I have.
That's pretty ridiculous, IMO. The truth is, everyone does make mistakes - even serious ones, like this one. In my first clinical I accidentally left a patient's chart in a common area while I went to use the bathroom. While I wasn't formally "punished," I had to have a long chat with my instructor and was definitely docked points. I ended up passing the clinical with a high B, but you'll bet I'll never make that mistake again. You're lucky that they gave you a second chance; chalk it up as a learning experience and try to move past it.
Quite honestly, you almost got kicked out and didnt....and that you owned your mistake and showed you learned from it very well may have been the deciding factor in that.....maybe it wasn't, but it could have been.
As for the ADD/ADHD thing, and everyone saying it is rediculous.....maybe it is IF it was said being based solely on this....but if these are instructors that have in class and clinicals for a while and have been around you a lot, and you even say you are pretty sure you have it, then it is worth seeing someone about it to try to determine if you do.
The truth is, everyone does make mistakes - even serious ones, like this one. In my first clinical I accidentally left a patient's chart in a common area while I went to use the bathroom. While I wasn't formally "punished," I had to have a long chat with my instructor and was definitely docked points. I ended up passing the clinical with a high B, but you'll bet I'll never make that mistake again. You're lucky that they gave you a second chance; chalk it up as a learning experience and try to move past it.
kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN
815 Posts
That's not a good thing...good thing the instructor saw you do it too. Because if you claim you gave the med, how does the patient know what it is you gave them? You could have pulled the old switcharoo and given them a Tylenol, and you take your 1 percocet home(not like it'll give someone a high or make them oober happy lol). Not to mention the whole 5 rights thing.