I made my first medication error :(

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2008

((((hugs))))) I hope you were able to get some sleep and relax a bit. Sounds like everyone was supportive about it, which is so important ..... learn from the mistake and move on. Hang in there, you're doing fine!

suanna · Feb 16, 2008

I made my first med error yesterday too. It is the worst feeling ever. The doc gave me a verbal order (I should have known better) for 2grams Claforan IV. I gave it, and then a random doc came in to see the patient and took the chart. No where to be found. I kept looking for it to chart my med, and about 20 minutes later, I saw it in the hands of a float nurse who saw the written order and gave the med also. Stupid, stupid me. Well, I learned from this experience that unless someone is dying, never give a med based on a verbal order. I hope you feel better. You aren't alone. I couldn't sleep last night either due to my mistake. We WILL make it through our first year! Chin up.

You made no error- you followed the doctors order and hadn't yet completed the paperwork. The float nurse needed to ask what you needed done to help catch up! How in the world didn't pharmacy catch the error-why would they dispense 2 doses of the same med on one order so close together without questioning it? You are so far down the list of people who erred I wouldn't give it a second thought. Unless it was to tell off the nurse who double medicated your patient.

Jessiedog, RN · Feb 19, 2008

i feel so bad.. i have made my first medication error today. i was to give my patient 20 units of nph. instead i gave 20 units of lantus. the thing is i even double checked the order because i recall telling the oncoming nurse that i was going to give the scheduled 7 am lantus and then i went to go and double check the amount. anyway the nurse who took place (wonderful nurse - my preceptor) called my house at nine am to see if i gave the patient nph of lantus. she told me the order was for nph and i told her i was 100% sure i gave lantus and i also charted that i gave lantus . i asked her did i need to come back in and file a incident report and if the patient was ok. she said no everything will be fine but i am so scared and am unsure as to what i am going to do. i haven't been able to sleep all day long.... i am so worried about the patient. i just called up to the hospital and the nurse is busy with the other patients..... i am just so sad and nervous as to what will happen to my patient.

i remember my first medication error, and it was a doozy!! i was 14 months out of training, and often in charge of a rehabilitation ward. we tended to work with several nurse's aides and one registered nurse (don't know what the equivalent in us would be.) coming to evening, and one of our regular male patients was being a little stroppy, so i decided to give him his nightly sedative an hour earlier in the hope it would help.

doing the evening medication round, i checked all the charts, and dosed him with the same med again, without realising it ! went on my merry way and went home. got a call the next morning, asking if i'd given mr. so&so his meds last night. being conscientious nurse, i stated "if i signed for it, i gave it." only problem was, i'd signed for it twice!!!!

i can still remember the hot and cold sweats that came over me as the nurse in charge explained what i'd done. going to work that afternoon i was pale and shaking, literally! the first thing i did was head to the office and ask for an incident report. i cried as i filled it all in, cursed my stpidity, and wondered if i'd ever be a good nurse.

i did learn from it, tho. never give a drug without checking if it has already been signed. basic, yes, but very important.

you are human, and humans make mistakes, even humans in the medical profession! do everything you possibly can to avoid them, but accept that unfortunately, occasionally they will happen. pray that the mistakes you make will have no lasting effects on your patients, and learn from them and you will be ok.:redbeathe:heartbeat:redpinkhe:redbeathe:heartbeat

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Feb 19, 2008

Med errors are scary and we've all had them. We all know that feeling when every hair on your body is standing on end and you feel like you're going to melt into the floor while your blood drains from your head to your feet. OMG I despise that feeling.

When giving insulin I always have it double checked by another nurse both the type and the dose drawn up. It is a policy for any high risk medication. Dopamine, IV Lopressor, Insulin, Epinephrine, IV Theophyllin, IV Lanoxin.

In Medical Imaging CT specials I am the only nurse so I have to double check myself. I'm only dealing with one patient at a time. (Thankfully) I give 50mg of Lopressor IV and I check, double check and triple check the dose. Doing conscious sedation I generally give Versed and Sublamaze. Again, I check three seperate times and when giving meds in CT I always use a pre-printed sticker with the name and dose of the medication on it.

I read an article that said many more med errors are made when syringes are not labeled and should not be labeled with tape which occludes seeing the measurements on the syringe. We have small pre-printed labels for everything including NS. Just a thought.