Med error,I'm suspended,I need advice,please!

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 24, 2005

HI,
I am new to this site and I would like to say hello to all the nurses out there!!My name is Julie and I am an LPN.I made a med error two nights ago and have been suspended without pay till further notice.I have a hearing tomorrow with administration and my union representative.Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Thanks so much!!!

Good Grief! That was a little punitive. Was this your first med error? What was the consequence to the pt as a result of the med error?

Mama2-3 · Aug 24, 2005

Good Grief! That was a little punitive. Was this your first med error? What was the consequence to the pt as a result of the med error?

this was my first error as a nurse,I have been a nurse for 5 years.The pt is fine and no harm was done.I feel like I am being persecuted,I feel physically ill over all this.

usan · Aug 24, 2005

hi, i am new to this sight. and i have just started my carriere in medical field.can you advice me what care should be taken not to make any mistakes?

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 24, 2005

this was my first error as a nurse,I have been a nurse for 5 years.The pt is fine and no harm was done.I feel like I am being persecuted,I feel physically ill over all this.

One of our nurses accidently thought that the levophed was an antibiotic (so many IVs were running) and ran it at 200cc/hr. Pt went into HTN crisis, BP >200, HR >170. It was ugly. Pt was a full code, AVR post op day 15 and weighed >400lb, still vented, all lines in, etc...

She stopped the infusion, filed an incident report and that was that. No punitive action at all. Pt died a week or two later. She never really got off the vent after AVR.

Now, if the someone has had a few med errors, then I can see some kind of action being taken, like a med review class, or a move to a less stressful floor. But being suspended right away seems a little harsh.

usan · Aug 25, 2005

if the pt is doing ok and nothing wrong happend to the pt than why would they suspeneded you?

hi, i am new to this sight. and i have just started my carriere in medical field.can you advice me what care should be taken not to make any mistakes?

Mama2-3 · Aug 25, 2005

One of our nurses accidently thought that the levophed was an antibiotic (so many IVs were running) and ran it at 200cc/hr. Pt went into HTN crisis, BP >200, HR >170. It was ugly. Pt was a full code, AVR post op day 15 and weighed >400lb, still vented, all lines in, etc...
She stopped the infusion, filed an incident report and that was that. No punitive action at all. Pt died a week or two later. She never really got off the vent after AVR.
Now, if the someone has had a few med errors, then I can see some kind of action being taken, like a med review class, or a move to a less stressful floor. But being suspended right away seems a little harsh.

Here's a little rundown of what happen.40 bed unit,we were short a nurse so the RN that was covering the house had to take one cart.9pm at nite she was called to another floor for an incident that had taken place.I was at the station trying to catch up on a pile of charting and numerous other things.ONe of her pts. foleys came out and she asked me to look for one,I did that and when I came back she had poured pills for a pt but couldn't give them because he was in the shower.She left them on top of the cart and asked me to give a pain pill to another one of her pts.She left for the other floor,I went to give the pt the narcotic and notice that the count was 5 off.I didn't give him anything until I could find out why the count was off.The gentlemen then finished his shower and was asking for his pills that were prepoured by the RN.I called the RN and asked if she wanted me to give them to him,she said yes and I did(BIG MISTAKE)So happens when she came back and I told her about the narc not being right,she said,Oh my God I put five Oxycodone instead of 5 phenobarbs in the cup.I immediately sprang into action,Assessed the pt.called the DR.CAlled 9ll.Looked for narcan in the crash cart.The pt at this point was fine.He left the building in 10 minutes and was admitted for observation.He returned the next day with no harm done.I was treated like an absolute criminal,I was not allowed to enter the front doors without being escorted and was told by the security(very loudly,not to cross the line.I am sick.

hrtprncss · Aug 25, 2005

omg mistaking levophed for levofloxacin, that's too bad for everyone, omg i wouldn't wanna be the heart nurse that has to explain it to the open heart surgeon. but to the original poster, what they're doing is a bit harsh. i mean if there's nothing wrong with the patient then it should be just that, we dont have to hang nurses out to dry for honest mistakes

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 25, 2005

You don't want to work there anyway. Get this situation taken care of, and then move on. These people will not be supportive-especially if you have another med error in the near future.

Chicklet2 · Aug 25, 2005

hey wow if the patient is fine and it was your first error I cannot believe they have suspended you. There was a grad nurse on one night and she had two post op patients both had hysterectomys. Well she was giving them morpheine and all these meds and the one lady's BP was 85/40 and she wasn't clueing in that something was wrong. well the post op orders were missing and she never noticed. THe one lady almost died, and she was back at work the next day and was never penalized.

Mama2-3 · Aug 25, 2005

You don't want to work there anyway. Get this situation taken care of, and then move on. These people will not be supportive-especially if you have another med error in the near future.

Thanks so much for the good advice,they were my thoughts exactly.I will get this taken care of tomorrow, and state my case.I need to sleep,I look like heck,I can't wait till it is over.Thanks again,

usan · Aug 25, 2005

i don't inderstand how come they blame you when the RN said yes for the medication and after giving the medicine she realised it was wrong she should be suspended too.