I almost made a stupid nursing mistake and now I can't stop thinking about it. Help!

Always_Learning, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2011

This is why high-alert medications are doubled checked. You didn't "skip over" the safety check; you did it and the mistake was caught. Be grateful! And the thing that sucks about mistakes is the horror of making them...but you probably won't make that mistake again. :hug:

MelissaMel · Dec 9, 2011

You missed actually giving the med because you double-checked . . . that in itself is good nursing practice . . . We are humans . . not superheroes. Always Learning . . good one . . we really are always learning . . . it is true, bet this mistake makes you really check the meds that you are giving, the fact that it bothers you enough to make you think so hard analyzing the situation shows that you are growing.

Live and learn, then move on.

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2011

You did the right thing by checking with another nurse. This is why those checks are in place.

Please don't beat yourself up about it.

By the way, that is NOT even close to the dumbest mistake anyone has made in our profession! I promise!

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Dec 10, 2011

This is why I wont co-sign insulin unless I see how much they are going to give. It is not that I dont trust people, its just that we all makes mistakes like this.

NeoPediRN · Dec 10, 2011

This is why insulin is a high alert medication and requires a cosign. It is REALLY easy to make a dangerous mistake. The ER I work in now doesn't require insulin to be cosigned, not even IV, but I still pull someone into the med room and have them double check it.

NoviceRN10 · Dec 10, 2011

This is why I love insulin pens.

rn/writer, RN · Dec 10, 2011

This isn't the stupidest mistake a nurse can make by a long shot. Even in this situation, it would have been more stupid to skip the double check. At least the mistake was caught.

I'm confused, though, by your statement that the insulin was to be given IVP. Insulin is given Sub-Q. But, that might have been a part of your mistake. One unit of insulin is 1/100th of a ml. That's why we use different syringes. Often, the syringes are about the same in length, which can be deceiving. The difference shows up in the diameter of the barrel. If you keep in mind that 100 units of insulin = 1 ml or cc, you'll be alert to this kind of blooper.

Another thing that stands out to me is that you graduated ten months ago but started your new job only one month ago. That's nine months away from the action for you to become a little rusty. This might not affect someone with five years of experience, but that's not the case with a brand new nurse. With all that time off right after graduation, you didn't have a chance to reinforce what you learned in clinicals and transfer your knowledge to the working world.

I also see that you are very concerned about what others think of you. Some of that is normal, but it can be detrimental to your practice (and your piece of mind) if you are overly concerned about the opinions of others. What matters most is what you think of yourself and what you learn from your mistakes. What felt like an atomic explosion on your radar was probably no mare than a tiny blip on that of your co-workers.

If you can tell yourself the truth--I had nine months to lose my edge, and it will probably take me a little bit to catch up and feel like I'm on top of things--the opinions of others won't matter so much. It's nice to feel respected and competent in front of your co-workers, but it isn't essential to get the job done.

Get your focus back where it belongs--in your own head and on your patients. If you do a good job day after day, your self respect and your good reputation will grow. But if you are constantly preoccupied with what others must be thinking of your skills, you will put yourself at much greater risk for making newer and better mistakes.

Do your job. Keep your eye on the ball. Realize that every one of us has made mistakes. If that weren't true, why would they even bother with things like double checks?

What this "terrible" mistake means is that you were embarrassed. And you are human. Join the club.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Dec 11, 2011

Regular insulin can be given IV.

OP, I've seen a 20+ year nurse do this very thing. The issue was we had the TB syringes right next to the insulin syringes, and she grabbed the wrong one. She even had another nurse look at it! So 0.6 ml was what was given, vs. 6 units. No bad outcome, patient was fine, but that RN was devastated. She had never made such a med error in her entire career! We moved the TB syringes away from the insulin syringes as a result of this.

BacktoBasics · Dec 11, 2011

just out of curiosity, why did you use a non-insulin syringe?

FootballGirl · Dec 11, 2011

Hi there, congrats on getting a job in this tough market! I have to say, on my unit, everyone has another RN check their insulin even if it is subQ! It's just our protocol! So, you were very smart to do that! :) Also, mistakes happen to *everyone*!! You had it checked and learned the right way... and now you will never make that mistake again...which is the important part, and no one was hurt. Don't worry about what other RNs think of it, honestly they will forget by the next day, they have other things to worry about I'm sure (like their own patients!). We all were new at one point!

NewPICURN · Dec 11, 2011

I'm new and I wanted to look competant, because I dont believe I am not. I just feel this moment definately left a mark, a humiliating one. I'm glad I had enough sense to ask another nurse for verification.
I'm so paranoid right now, I feel like others will think I'm a terrible nurse or just stupid.
Am i worrying too much? I have a habit of worrying what people think of me a lot, and I'm pretty sure they all think the worst right now.
Any advice, from any nurse who's been in a situation similar is much appreciated?

I'm a new nurse as well in my first year and I've been through these same feelings. I want to seem like the "smart new guy", but honestly I don't think they want me to be. I think it's okay to still be the one learning and getting better and the last thing I wanna do is look like I know everything, because then it's harder to get help/advice. In the end, it doesn't matter so much what your coworkers think, but what your patients think and the quality of care that they recieve. I may not be the best nurse on my unit, but I care about my patients and bust my butt for them.