I am getting terminated tomarrow

[nl2005]

I am a ER nurse. I have worked in the ER for a year with the exception of being on maternity leave for a short time. three days ago , I gave the wrong contrast to a pt going into ct scan. the conteast was supose to be water soluable. That perticular contrast is not carries in the ER and I had never used it before, but since the patient had a possible perliferated bowl that is the contrast I was to use. The pt ended up fine, but I made the big mistake. after that the next day we had a pt getting ready to head up the stairs to be admitted to the hospital. He was still in the ER waiting for his bed to become available. He was being admitted for DKA. I was monitering his blood sugar and giving him fluids that were perscribed. the charge nurse got ahold of the chart half way through the shift and asked why the pt was not ordered a ICU bed by the docter. I had failed the recognize how critical the pt was by his labs. I guess the ER is not cut out for me, I keep making these mistakes. now I am scheduled for a meeting with managment and human resources tomarrow. I know they are going to terminate me and I am so worried about how this will look to future employers, and if I will ever be able to get another job? I am so stressed right now, I am not sure what to do? Does anybody have any advise??

[nl2005]

Thank you all for the feedback, I feel so much better already. With the ICU pt they were expecting me to know to call the dr to change the type of bed ordered. Also, i should have ordered a Stat blood gas, and been more on top of the admitting orders since the dr that wrote the orders was not in the ed. thank you all for your feedback!-lisa

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Ah contrast . . . . we have specific written rules about what to do and errors are still made, especially if the doc wants something special outside of our written rules.

I worked in a small town ER and a bigger city ER - I was very lucky because everyone worked together as a team. However, it is still the doctor's call about placement and admission of patients.

I wish you the best - :flowersfo

steph

[justme1972]

I'm a student...I'm not even sure what error occurred.

However, I have learned from these boards that some errors are very, very easy to make and I sure don't thnk that someone always needs to lose their job over it.

I sure hope you don't lose yours.

HR will always be involved in a final written warning...so try not to think it's the end (but I also know, that's real easy to say).

If you still have your job, I would ask if there might be other opportunities in a less critical area.

[TiredMD]

Thank you all for the feedback, I feel so much better already. With the ICU pt they were expecting me to know to call the dr to change the type of bed ordered. Also, i should have ordered a Stat blood gas, and been more on top of the admitting orders since the dr that wrote the orders was not in the ed. thank you all for your feedback!-lisa

Ah, the absentee admitting physician. Amazing that people get worried about residents taking care of them, but never bat an eyelash when their attending physician manages their admission via cell phone.

[MzMouse]

I sure don't see that either of these situations should lead to your termination. My best wishes.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Are you SURE that you are being terminated, and not counseled or just spoken to? If so, I am sorry to hear it. I don't know about working in the ER, since I am a clinic nurse (LPN at that). However, I wish you the best, and try to think positive until you actually know for sure.

[TazziRN, RN]

Don't fret. Last year I missed an MI in a pt whose EKG was seen by the ER MD. I knew he had seen it so I didn't bother to look at it. No changes on the bedside monitor. NINE HOURS later the admitting doc came in and caught it. Guess who was terminated? Me. Guess who stayed? The ER Doc. I even had staff physicians going to bat for me, saying that even if I had looked at the EKG it wasn't my responsibility to read it, etc., but I was canned. No prior warnings.

It turned out to be the best thing that happened to me. I found a job in home health and I love it.

If you are terminated, you say nothing at interviews until asked, then you be honest. Do not knock the previous employer. I promise, being terminated is not the end of the world.

[medsurgrnco, BSN, RN]

They may put you on a final corrective action due to the seriousness of these issues (in their mind) rather than terminate you. I agree that it might be a good plan to ask to transfer to another unit. Take a typed resignation letter with you so that you can resign instead of getting fired if it comes to that. If that happens, oh well. There's a nursing shortage out there and you'll probably quickly find another position.

[rph3664]

Keep us posted.

[DeLana_RN, BSN, RN]

((( nl2005 )))

So sorry to hear this. I sure hope it doesn't come to it (termination). Most likely it will be a serious corrective action which normally involves HR. I agree, however, with pp that it would be a good idea to take a letter of resignation with you just in case.

This is so unfair, nurses are held to such high standards and if it comes to it (nurse and MD making a mistake), it's nearly always the nurse who gets in more trouble. I have made mistakes myself, it's so easy to do with the responsibilities nurses have...

I wish you the very best, let us know what happens.

DeLana :icon_hug:

[suejara]

No way, I dont think you should get fired. Nurses are human, you made a mistake by giving the wrong contrast but in my hospital it is the radiology dept who brings up the contrast for the patient. The nurses that I worked with always administered the contrast in good faith that whatever radiology "sent up" must be given. On one ever thought to question whether it is the "right stuff". No one ever thinks to treat things like contrast as a medication, so I guess that it never get checked or verified the way a med would.

As for the charge nurses asking why the patient wasn't going to ICU, I never heard of a nurse making that decision. You get labs, chart them and alert the doctor to them.

Godd luck;)

[casi, ASN, RN]

I hope everything goes good for you tomorrow! I'm sending you happy thoughts!