I'm so ashamed...

Nurses New Nurse

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I'm so ashamed, I can't sleep, eat or think of anything else. I'm a new RN, passed my boards in July and have been working nights since. I started that night on the wrong foot taking that room in the first place, B bed was my son-in-law's father, I'm not even sure the policy on taking people I know, I just knew he would be more comfortable with a familiar face. But that's not the problem, the gentleman in A bed was suffering from ETOH W/D, had a seizure that I witnessed near the end of my shift, and what did I do? nothing, tucked him in and left the room. That is so out of character for me (or so I thought). I was faced with a crisis, I did not know what to do, so instead of asking for help, I ignored it! My stomach is flipping thinking about it. Maybe hospital nursing isn't for me, maybe LTC is so I can send them to a hospital when thing happen. Maybe it's the shift, I am not myself at home either, not smiling, being grouchy. I just don't know. I do not trust myself right now. :crying2: Any advice??

Lori, if you're addressing me, I understand and share your concern, but I'd bet that this nurse, faced with an emergent situation, will never do nothing again.

Yes, I can have sympathy for someone at the same time that I clearly see the error. But as I said in a previous post, that doesn't mean that we have to beat her up with it. She's new, for gawd's sake.

So in turn, I have to ask you:

If the person making the error was a doctor, would that doctor be beating himself up and forever punished by his peers?

Really in my post I was addressing anyone reading this and formulating an opinion. I realize this person is a new nurse, but she is still a NURSE. And yes, I would think a doctor would be subject to the same blame. The fact that she is in fact a nurse means that she has gone through nursing school and clinicals. She was responsible for providing care. This wasn't forgetting to give someone a tylenol, this was facing a life-threatening (because yes, people can AND DO die from their first DT seizure, that is the reason for hospitilization, at the very least the clenched teeth might have broken and occluded the airway) situation and instead of reacting to it, instead of finding someone CAPABLE of reacting to it, she closed the door and told noone, leaving the patient to whatever his fate may be. This leads me to believe that she cares more about appearing to be capable than she does about the life of her patient. I hope she has the guts to come forward with this, and if she doesn't, I hope the other patient in the room is lucid enough to call for help for his roommate and report her negligence, and I hope that she suffers the consequences. We are nto talking about a simple med error or not reporting a med omission. We are talking about gross negligence. Next time it could be a code. This nurse needs to get off the floor until she is able to react to emergency situations rather than abandoning her patient.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
I just don't want any misunderstanding here. I said that in my first post. However, your response was clearer, Tweety. Thank you.

I think we're thinking more alike than not. :)

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
This nurse needs to get off the floor until she is able to react to emergency situations rather than abandoning her patient.

Why "off the floor"? How is she supposed to learn to react if she's "off the floor"?

Why not more orientation, more preceptorship, more exposure to these situations that can really teach a new grad how to react and what to react to?

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Please understand that I understand and respect your position. I do believe that we are having an important and valuable discussion.

How far do we have to go to punish a new grad who's made a serious error?

I keep asking myself, is the failure completely her own?

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Why "off the floor"? How is she supposed to learn to react if she's "off the floor"?

Why not more orientation, more preceptorship, more exposure to these situations that can really teach a new grad how to react and what to react to?

If you were an instructor in a nursing school and had a student who displayed this behavior, who actually encountered an emergency and instead of getting help quietly closed the door and said nothing, would it have been condoned? Why is it different for someone who has taken on the full responsibility? If you aren't ready to be a nurse, there is no need to risk the lives of those put under your care. She accepted report for those patients and was being paid to be responsible for their care. I believe that she should voluntarily go back into a preceptorship situation, come clean with what she did, and face the consequences before her actions (or lack of them) result in the death of someone who was placed in her care.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Why "off the floor"? How is she supposed to learn to react if she's "off the floor"?

Why not more orientation, more preceptorship, more exposure to these situations that can really teach a new grad how to react and what to react to?

Every nurse knows that if you don't know what to do you use the chain of command. All this person had to do was say something, to someone. He/she could have went to the charge nurse "my patient just seized". As I said to my last manager, "I can teach a lot of things, but common sense isn't one of them".

Although being put back on orientation so that she/he can be watched carefully might not be a bad idea. But some time out for rest, reflection and emotional help wouldn't be a bad idea either.

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I keep asking myself, is the failure completely her own?

Well, in a lot of cases, new grads aren't well prepared, but I personally think anyone witnessing a patient having a seizure would GET HELP, rather than just walk away.

The behavior is just strange to walk away from a patient in distress, I think it could be termed negligence. I'm personally not concerned if she did not know what to do- we all fall into that situation, but the prudent person would ask for help.

I've worked on some hostile units, however, I've never had one that would not help me with a seizing patient. If this person is too intimidated by the pther nurses to ask for help, then she is not ready to be on the floor independently.

For the lack of knowledge, it isn't a problem, for doing nothing at all, I do think it is entirely on her. We all talk the talk about giving new grads support, but at some point, people have to cowboy up and take responsibility.

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Well, in a lot of cases, new grads aren't well prepared, but I personally think anyone witnessing a patient having a seizure would GET HELP, rather than just walk away.

The behavior is just strange to walk away from a patient in distress, I think it could be termed negligence. I'm personally not concerned if she did not know what to do- we all fall into that situation, but the prudent person would ask for help.

I've worked on some hostile units, however, I've never had one that would not help me with a seizing patient. If this person is too intimidated by the pther nurses to ask for help, then she is not ready to be on the floor independently.

For the lack of knowledge, it isn't a problem, for doing nothing at all, I do think it is entirely on her. We all talk the talk about giving new grads support, but at some point, people have to cowboy up and take responsibility.

Thank you for saying it better than I could.

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I was taught very early in nursing that asking for help is not a problem, not asking is a problem. I am not going to beat the op up. She has done a jam up job of that on her own. Maybe she just isn't ready and needs help on when to ask. I am the queen of asking dumb questions and I wear that crown proudly. The day I quit asking questions and asking for help is the day I will need to quit.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
I believe that she should voluntarily go back into a preceptorship situation, come clean with what she did, and face the consequences before her actions (or lack of them) result in the death of someone who was placed in her care.

I agree, she needs more preceptorship. But I was counting on her NM to talk to her about that.

To the OP: Just my opinion--you need to try to stay where you are and learn from this, and go on and learn more. Hiding in a LTC facility is certainly not the answer, because you will face the same situations with way less backup than you have now.

Please take advantage of the opportunity for an extended preceptorship if it is offered to you.

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I'll agree with Angie about staying in the same place. one problem I am observing is that new grds job hop, 3 months here, 6 there. They do not give a job enough time, for them and the people around them to get comfortable. The more you stay in one place, the more you can learn.

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Almed,Please stop beating yourself up,you need to gather your thoughts,go to your manager and admit to your error,poor judgment is not a sin,but,you need to report the error,I hope the pt did not suffer any residual effects,as I am sure you do too,more than anyone.We have all had moments of terror and this is yours.It does sound like you may be alittle depressed,your self confidence is in the basement now I'm sure..how is your relationship with the other nurses,did you feel you could not seek them out for assistance?

Where I work their would be no punishment,teaching yes,but no punishment, please talk with your nurse manager,make an appointment to see her/him on a day off.

I think this will make you an even better nurse,kinder to the new grads and any fellow nurse that makes a mistake...You will NEVER do anything like this again. Now,get on with it:) Good luck and GOD bless.

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