I am not going to go into details...but I made a major, stupid error today. A med error for which there is no excuse. No excuse at all. I **know** better, and I have done better. No one died, though, thank God...and wasn't even injured. But it was a med error...and that can kill people.
After making the error in front of my clinical instructor, I was not only horrified but scared to finish administering the meds. My clinical instructor would not let me get away with that...she made me do the injection (which worked out well...).
My instructor told me in no uncertain terms that the very least I could expect was a written warning. I told her that was utterly justifiable. She then told me that we would meet tomorrow morning before clinicals to 'discuss' things.
I left the floor at the end of rotation and was in tears going to my car. I went to the administration building, to talk to one of the administrators about what happened; while there, I saw our class coordinator, and asked if I could talk to her. We sat down, and as I fought back tears, I told her what happened and how it happened...accepted all blame and all consequences. She made mention that in her med clinicals, if I had done that, it was instant failure...but I wasn't in her group.
Of course I left thinking I was out of the program. I came home, talked it over with the cat, and wrote an email to my clinical instructor. I offered a remediation plan, and offered my apologies and explanation of why what happened actually happened.
And then had a good, long cry.
I checked my email a bit ago, and she wrote back. I am on meds in the morning, even though I asked to be removed from med admin. I will recieve a written warning (utterly justified), and I will write a paper about the 5 rights. I have to say, her remediation plan was far less severe than I wrote up...and much more mild than what I would've put me through.
I am still in the program. By taking the initiative and offering a remediation plan to her before she talked to me, I was able to demonstrate how badly I felt, and how I have learned from this. I told her that even though I had explanations, there was no excuse for what happened...no excuse whatsoever.
I am not exactly why I'm sharing this with you...but I want my experience to do two things for you: when you make an error, no matter how big or small, be responsible for it. And be proactive in accepting that responsibility, because I think that me talking to the class coordinator and the administrator, I was able to show how devastated I was, and how seriously I took this error...which also let my clinical instructor know that I was horrified and ashamed and looking to remediate even before I submitted my plan to her via email.
Sorry if this is disjointed...I am exhausted right now, and emotionally spent. I was pretty sure I'd lost my seat...and to find out otherwise...well, you guys know.
Unfortunately, sometimes mistakes happen. You absolutely did the right thing. Keep going because learning is a process. You know the mistake you made and I'm sure that you have already taken the steps to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Good luck in your chosen path.:)
Awww, I could really feel your pain reading that, and I am quite sure I would have reacted the same way. It really could happen to any of us, and if anyone thinks differently, that's asking for trouble. I will keep your experience in mind to hopefully help me to always be on guard. I find medication administration to be frightening because it's such a serious responsibility with such potential for harm if mistakes are made, but hopefully if I can keep from getting complacent I can avoid having that experience.
I am very glad it worked out well for you, you handled it really well.
Your a great writer, I was there with you! I'm so happy for you and that everything turned out for you.
You are very blessed to have an instructor that sounds like she sees something in you and didn't go all out and kick you out to teach you a lesson or for whatever reason nursing instructors always go off.
I,too,am a student although I have been an LPN for quite awhile and I know how shaken you feel from this.You have just received an invaluable learning experience that you can apply for many years in your nursing career.NEVER become complacent with patient care,always keep focused on task at hand.You will make mistakes EVERYONE does including your instructors,learn,accept responsibilty and forgive yourself!!!!Nursing needs people with consciences' for patient's sakes!!!Don't give up!!!!:wink2:
Thanks, everyone. I think I've managed to get some perspective on this, and it no longer freaks me out. Rest easy that the lesson was learned, and will not be repeated...but as someone said, it's easy to become 'relaxed'...and that's when the problems occur.
I just thank God nothing happened to the patient, and that the worst is done with on my end. Paper has been written and submitted, warning accepted, and life, as they say, is proceeding.
I am just glad that the week is done with. One last week of finals and evaluations, and I have a month to rest and prepare for next semester's work. And I am looking forward to spending that month at the barn with my horse, spending time with my family, and sleeping.
And cleaning. It's bad when the dust bunnies and the cats have brawls...and the dust bunnies win. My poor cats.
Thanks again for all of the support and reassurance. It means a whole lot to me...it really does.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am so glad that you still remain in your seat which you fought and worked so hard for. I think sometimes things happen for a reason. I believe this situation taught you a lot and at the same time is teaching all of us nursing students who are in the same boat as you.
May God Bless you and Remember all things are possible if you believe and expect.
I know you said you didn't want to go into details, and I utterly respect that...
however :)
I'm starting clinicals next spring, and reading these horror stories of 'one strike and you're out' have got me shaking my boots! If you're able to shed any light at all on the actual mistake you made, and how to avoid it, I'd sure be grateful!
Hope I didn't offend by asking, I'm just genuinely curious because like I said, I've seen more than just a few people on here saying they got kicked out, or nearly did, just because of one mistake! Scary...
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You're pretty lucky. My instructor gave a person an incomplete for an out dated Hep b!