I cried at work today for the first time! (long- sorry!)

altomga, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN · Sep 8, 2003

Hey iluvsnoopy {{{{{{{{hug}}}}}}}}

I don't think you are silly for crying at all....we all are human and have emotions....

One thing they might not understand and probably did not know is that you would have caught the mistake when doing your final med administration checks.........

It sounds like the pt's visitor was possibly just trying to be "nice"?? By telling you about how the family felt..maybe her words just did not come across that way...

Anyhow...don't beat yourself up over this....we are human and do make mistakes..that is why we have "CHECKS" for meds.

Good luck and Cheer up:)

Dixen81 · Sep 8, 2003

I think some people get off on making others feel bad; maybe it makes them feel bigger and better. I can't give a professional opinion, because I'm only a student; but on a personal level, I can say that you sound like a kind, sensitive person, and the other woman sounds like a bully. Going on and on till it made you cry was probably just what she wanted. Try to forget about it and move on.:kiss

RN~in~CT · Sep 8, 2003

:kiss

{{{Hugs}}} I am sorry that you went thru that, and I know how you feel. We are all human, and yes, mistakes happen. Most important thing is to learn from your mistakes, or in this case a near-mistake.

You would have caught the error when checking the wristband prior to administering the med. Please dont beat yourself up!

PMS ~ gets us every time! :crying2:

...at least it gets me! :rolleyes:

live4today, RN · Sep 8, 2003

:balloons: ((((iluvsnoopy)))) :kiss

I "feel" ya, snoop! I've cried many a day because of the pressures of staying on top of things at work. I'm strong in many ways, but very emotional in others. I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve, so cry at the drop of a hat a lot of times.

We all make mistakes. Not one of us is perfect...never will be in this life. Chalk it up to a learning experience, forgive yourself, and move on. Allow the experience to strengthen you....not weaken you. :)

Now...give yourself a BIG hug, and put it behind you...all except the lesson learned from it. :nurse:

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 8, 2003

iluvsnoopy,

Big hugs and much support from me to you.

I've been a nurse for ten years, and I think I've cried at least once every couple of months a each job I've had.

When the going gets tough, sometimes the tough just can't help but cry.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Sep 8, 2003

Snoopy, I would much rather have a nurse like you who owns up to her mistake as you clearly did. Sounds like the lady went a bit overboard in "expressing her concern" but it's hard to tell from this end whether she was well-meaning, or being a bit bullying. Either way, we ALL know here that no one can make us feel worse for our errors (or near-errors) than we make ourselves. We are only human, but we are somehow expected to be infallible.

I remember a patient once asking what a particular pill was I was to give him. I described it using the reason for the med rather than the name and actually was confusing the names of two similar sounding pills. I was giving the right med, but told him the wrong reason for the med. He was very upset and stated he didn't have the problem I was supposedly giving the med for and I had better recheck it. When I rechecked the med sheet and recognized my "brain fart" I showed it too him and explained it WAS the right med, but I had recalled the wrong name. He took it, but I don't think I ever got his trust fully back while I cared for him.

To this day, I now always have the patient's med sheets with me when I administer meds to avoid going on my occasionally-faulty memory . It was a good learning experience for me, because while I have made a number of other *different* mistakes, I never made that particualr mistake again lol.

pieWACKet · Sep 8, 2003

YOU DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE. You entered a wrong room, told the people why you were there, since they hadn't seen you before, they alerted you, before your self checks would have, that you were speaking to the wrong patient, and you did all you had to do to correct the situation.

What is really smart is that you told the head nurse. NOT because you did something wrong, but because you sensed that the family was upset, and might have reported you, which they should have done if they really are concerned about your ability as a nurse. Telling the head nurse gave her the heads up in case someone HAD complained, and an ability to address their concerns immediately. In that case, she would have explained that though of course unnerving to the family members, had none been there, there would have been no mistake because you would have checked the ID band, and, finally, noted that no access for the medication as it was to be given was to be had.

You did NOT cry because you are premenstrual, or menstrual. You Cried because you were manipulated, threatened, told you were spied on, and power played by someone who had NO right to speak to you that way-not even a family member-, with, for the most important reason, the terrible consequence of undermining your confidence and composure, both of which are necessary to your own self esteem and the safety of those under your wings.

The only thing I would have done differently is that, if spoken to that way, with what was said, I would have said earlier on, before my composure was so endangered, something along the lines of: [in other words I would have called her to play the card she suggested she had in her hand]: "I am sure you can see that I am very upset by what you are telling me. I take my practice seriously. My upset is that you seem to imply I am not fit to do my job, and if that is the case, then I encourage you to speak to my manager. As to last Wednesday, I did not make a mistake beyond entering the wrong room and letting those present know why I was there. Had the woman been comatose, and alone, she still would not have received the medication, for there are many steps to all that we do, and in the case of medication administration the steps involve more than just announcing it, there are many double checks to prevent errors-double checks that are standard to all hospitals and the practise of Doctors, Pharmicists and Nurses EXACTLY because people in hospitals, working with many new patients each day, could easily make a mistake if those double checks were not in place. What you witnessed was the interruption of those double checks...NOT a medication error. I understand that you feel that her safety was seriously jeapordized and beyond telling you what I have, I don't know how to make you feel comfortable with me as a nurse. Unfortunately, I feel that you are suggesting I am not skilled enough to care for patients. Please, if any of the family, or the patient herself,or if you feel that I need a talking to about what my future role as a nurse in our community is, I would prefer it come from my manager who is fully aware of the events of last Wednesday, my practice, my adherance to hospital practice in terms of medication administration, and my merits as a professional. She is always open to consumer feedback and we all want you, and the family, and especially the patient, to feel confident in our care. Would you like to speak to my manager? " If she said no, i would have asked "You seem devoted to this patient. You visit often. Tell me, Do you intend on being here for a large portion of the day" If she said yes, I think I would have again given the heads up to the head nurse, and asked if a change in assignment was merited.

Really, some people are just mean, some like to powerplay, and some think they understand so much more than they do. She made you cry because she wanted to make you cry. And the safety of the patient was NOT her real message-the message was "I have power. I can get you fired. I, because I am so big and magnanimous, decided instead to try to make you feel like shit". NONE of those messages are true, but the effect was the one she sought.

Sorry you had to endure this.

Cynthia

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 8, 2003

Interesting for them to say "we didn't report you, but we want you too feel like crap anyway". Nothing would have happened to you because nothing did happen. Are they so rich and powerful that the gossip they spead has any effect in that town and your life. I doubt it. Too bad you didn't have your wits about you to explain your checks before medicating a patient.

Potential med errors scare us. That's a good thing. Makes it less likely that an actual error will occur.

The idea of a float nurse is an intersting concept, while another nurse has 11 patients. Does it work well?

Hope you're feeling better today.

pappyRN · Sep 8, 2003

WOW!

What an ignorant, mean lowlife who crawled out from underneath a rock. Don't you wish you could have said, "Move out of my way, Bimbo! You aren't nearly as powerful as you think you are!"

PieWACKet - you are a person after my own heart! Way to go!

iluvsnoopy- don't give it another thought. She's a nonfactor who's impressed with herself but she's the only one who is. You did NOT make a mistake. Sure, it's embarrassing but you didn't administer the med. Rise up above this. You are obviously a conscientious nurse and this hog was just mean and manipulative. Too bad you didn't have your head nurse nearby so you could have said "Jane, this woman has a problem with a mistake I DIDN'T make. Now she is threatening to attempt to ruin my career. Perhaps you can speak with her." Sometimes, you just have to bust people at their own game.

It gets a little easier handling these types of things as you gain more experience and confidence. You've just had your confidence shaken up but it has NOTHING to do with your ability. She was a busybody who was WAY out of line pretending to speak for the family when all she really wanted to do is get HER two cents in. Wouldn't you just have loved to tell her that visiting hours are ended, for HER?

Warm personal regards,

PappyRN

kahoro · Sep 8, 2003

iluvsnoopy,

sorry you went through that let me give you a pat on your shoulder and remind you that human is to error the worst of all is to repeat the error.

Im sure that time is a teacher that each time you learn new things , ihope that from that experience you have learnt something.

...... wish you a happy week ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 8, 2003

((((((ilovesnoopy))))))

I agree with the others. You felt bad because you CARE..these people are manipulative and cruel. So they report you-----what? You did not MAKE THE ERROR...it was caught and NO HARM WAS DONE.

Hon, we all makes mistakes and it serves to remind us the "5 rights" exist for a reason. You are NOT a bad nurse or a child. I say move past this and consider the situation a lesson learned. Let their comments roll of your back like water off a duck. Go to work, hold you head up high and keep on practising like you do---with compassion, professionalism and integrity. Hang in there. We ALL have our days in nursing, and no, PMS has nada to do with it!