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.
Oootta, I'll tell you what. Let me get some studying handled this morning, finals review attended, and a paper completed...and I'll pm you some information later tonight or tomorrow. Sound like a deal?
As for being scared...look at it this way. We are dealing with people's lives, their wellbeing. If we make an error large enough to endanger their lives, we should definitely be remediated and/or excused. It's hard, being a student. But the result of us making an error can be fatal to someone else. If one looks at it in that light, it makes perfect sense.
So if you're willing to be patient, I'll send you some info over tonight or tomorrow.
Oootta, I'll tell you what. Let me get some studying handled this morning, finals review attended, and a paper completed...and I'll pm you some information later tonight or tomorrow. Sound like a deal?
As for being scared...look at it this way. We are dealing with people's lives, their wellbeing. If we make an error large enough to endanger their lives, we should definitely be remediated and/or excused. It's hard, being a student. But the result of us making an error can be fatal to someone else. If one looks at it in that light, it makes perfect sense.
So if you're willing to be patient, I'll send you some info over tonight or tomorrow.
Best-
Lovin' Learning
Thank you again...you're going to be a wonderful nurse!
I'm sorry you made a mistake, but THANK YOU so much for being a stand up kinda person and taking responsibility! I know that you will be a wonderful nurse, and that you will continue to improve your skills!
LovingLearning
101 Posts
Oootta, I'll tell you what. Let me get some studying handled this morning, finals review attended, and a paper completed...and I'll pm you some information later tonight or tomorrow. Sound like a deal?
As for being scared...look at it this way. We are dealing with people's lives, their wellbeing. If we make an error large enough to endanger their lives, we should definitely be remediated and/or excused. It's hard, being a student. But the result of us making an error can be fatal to someone else. If one looks at it in that light, it makes perfect sense.
So if you're willing to be patient, I'll send you some info over tonight or tomorrow.
Best-
Lovin' Learning