Made an error :'( unable to move on

[mahal788]

Hello, this is my first post here.

I am an LPN (graduated in 2005) and I work at a rehab facility. I love my job and the people I work with..... Until recently.......

It was the morning rush, and a patient complained of mild chestpain. I don't know why, but I didn't think of checking his mar for an anti-anginal, which he had. Later, the doctor comes in and talks to him and then I overheard the doctor talking angrily at the nursing station, telling the head RN and our pharmacist my mistake. I even heard he told it to our physiotherapist too.

I am very disheartened, this happened last friday and now it is thursday and I have been feeling so depressed about it. The patient is ok, actually now they aren't sure if his chest pains were heart or muscle related, but now I am questioning everything. I've cried myself to sleep a few times and now am seriously thinking about a career change. I can't believe I missed what should have been a basic nursing instinct - pain? Give a painkiller. Angina? Give an antianginal. I have to admit I've become very comfortable with my job and became careless, but what if the patient had worse effects from my neglect? I am starting to think nursing isn't for me.

I'm very disappointed at myself and took the cowardly way out today - I called in sick. I just don't feel like I can face the patient, or the doctor, or the RN and the pharmacist. I know I have lost their respect as a good nurse. I can't fully describe how I'm feeling right now - I feel angry and disappointed at myself and everytime I think about going back to work I get anxious. What's wrong with me? :-C I feel so depressed. Maybe I should change careers before I kill someone.:-C

[gatoraims RN]

Nurses are human, we make mistakes, sometimes big ones. I would not let this get you so down that you make a career change. Nothing bad happened to the pt, it could have but it did not. Use this as a lesson learned. Own up to your mistake apologize to the pt, Rn, and doctor. Let the RN and Dr know that you have learned from your mistake and that in the future you will not let it happen again. Let them know that you are going to be more on top of the game.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I second what gatoraims wrote....

[Mrs. SnowStormRN, RN]

I third.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

And fourth. You care so much because you are an excellent nurse, not a crummy one.

[emmanewgrad]

A learning lesson, if you learned something from this, it will not happen again just because now, you r aware my friend. don't give up yet, good luck and smile, life is not that bad yet.:)

[ErinS, BSN, RN]

If you ever meet a nurse that says they have not made a mistake, they are lying or to dumb to realize they made one. We all make mistakes. Honestly, mild chest pain would not get me real excited in a long term care setting. But I bet you won't ever overlook it again. The is called a learning opportunity, and you will have many along the way. Some will be much harder to deal with. This is the risk we take as nurses, but you need to have a plan on how you will deal with this, because it will happen again in some form or another. And I bet that doctor has made some serious mistakes himself. Good luck and hang in there.

[VolunteerCPR]

Don't beat yourself up anymore!!! It is impossible for any human to never make a mistake. You can't be so hard on yourself. Just learn from it and don't do it again and you'll continue to be a great nurse.

[merlee]

If you haven't heard from your boss about it then try to calm yourself. Most of the people have forgotten about it already, and have moved on to other more urgent things.

Stop berating yourself; I guarantee there will be more errors in your career.

[DaniRN1]

Your situation simply proves you are a GOOD nurse. Why? Because you are bothered about a mistake. Because you know you will NEVER make that mistake again (you learned). That' s alot of what nursing is, continual learning. When you think you have it all down, someone or something reminds you that you need to learn something. Also, if the other RN(s) or docs hold this against you, after all of the good and right things you have done, then perhaps it's time to change locations, not careers!

[Ruthfarmer]

Let it go, Sweetie. No egregious harm was done. This has made an impression on you. Take the lesson with you and let it go. Be kind and gentle and caring to yourself.

[canchaser, BSN, RN]

My mistake last week, I gave 80 mg of lasix at 0900 instead of 1800. Don't ask me how I did. I cried the whole day, it was on a pt who's family was discussing hospice. I felt terrible but i disclosed it to them and told them i was sorry, they were consoling me. The pt did not experience any ill effects and sctually we learned she was terribly dry cause she did not pee. I want u to read this article, its ok to say sorry, you will get a clear conscience Then you can move forward.If you can't get it to load google Michigan saying sorry. It's from 2009 but I feel it can still be pertinent. Hold your head up, you are human. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,534345,00.h...