HEY I AM A NEW NURSE PUSHING MY SKILL ON THE FLOOR,I KNOW I AM CAPABLE BUT I HAVE MADE THREE MED ERRORS IN 11 MONTHS, FIRST
I WAS LATE, SECOND I GAVE THE RIGHT MED WRONG NAME, AND NOW I GAVE A MED THE WRONG ROUTE,,,NEVER HARMED THE PATIENT BUT IT SUCKS, I HANDLE 4-6 PTS, I AM KNOWLEDGE AND ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS ALWAYS LOOK UP OR FIND OUT WHAT I DO NOT KNOW BUT THESE ERRORS ARE KILLING ME...I HAVE A PRIOR PROFESSION THAT ALSO REQUIRED QUALTIY WORK AND I HAVE VERY HIGH PERSONAL GOALS BUT THESE ERRORS ARE KILLING ME AND PUTTING SELF DOUBT IN ME
me 2 i am a new nurse n have had 3 jobs in the past 10 months. I really wanted the last one to work out then i had 2 med errors; once i gave meds to the wrong patient. It happened like this on my third day at my new job- so heres what not to do-a nurse was training me and said "her" and i gave it to the wrong "her" causing an extremely large amount of paperwork but more importantly i cant get rid of the guilt. Friday i got in trouble for giving meds at wrong time cuz i was intimitated by the med pass and a nurse showede me how 2 cut corners and i thought i was doing so but supposedly the residents were complaining they didnt recieve their meds on time. iT SHOWED U HOW EFFICANT CUTTING CORNERS WAS!!! nevertheless, they had to let me go,but told me if i can aquire 80 hrs of pharmacology knowledge i would be elegible for rehire. Which led me here because i will do WHATEVER i have to do to get my job back. I want to prove im not some kind of moron not only to them but to myself so if anyone knows where i can start to get 80 hrs of pharmacolgy med pass knowledge ceu's im willing to pay whatever it takes. PLEASE PLEASE tell me HOW I CAN GET PHARMACOLOGY HRS!!!
D,
If you check local nursing schools that offer continuing education programs, you may be able to find a refresher pharmacology class. My school offers one, as well as other refresher courses. I hope this helps - good luck to you!
PS - to look on the bright side, you will have a super strong foundation in Pharm after you take a refresher!!:yelclap:
It's very disheartening if on the one hand, you want to take your time so as to do all the appropriate checks and follow safe protocol for med administration... but on the other hand, if you're new and not fast, you still get dinged for being late (be it giving a med late or staying late to chart or whatever). Clearly, patient safety takes precedence over any inconvenience but in many environments there is so much pressure to be "up to speed" with the experienced personnel on the unit that someone who needs to take more time gets no support for choosing the safer option and taking longer. There's often just the callous attitude that you either can do it (be fast and safe) or you're just not fit for that type of nursing. Certainly, there is a point where if someone isn't getting it you need to let them go. However, we need nurses so badly that it seems that it would be better to make it easier to work safely (eg fewer competing demands where possible). Make it so that it's DIFFICULT to make an error. Demanding that nurses do so much in so little time makes it more difficult to do a good job all around.
As a student nurse, I made a med error, luckily not serious. I am actually working on the unit that this happened on.
ALWAYS check and double check! The 5 rights are not something that your instructors just made you memorize for the hell of it. It keeps you from making a possibly fatal error.
Now, after I get report, I make sure that I go to somewhere quiet and go through the worksheets on my pts. I circle, highlight, etc, any med where I have to be extra sure to be alert such as only giving 1/2 tablet, or part of a vial. I also take my drug book with me, and look up any med I'm not familiar with, and make notes about what I need to know about it (SE's, route, etc.). It may take a little time, but it's worth it in the end to keep your patients safe, and ensure that you do not make a mistake. I double check against the order, at the pyxys, and again at the bedside. Giving a med late is not really a med error. It has happened to me due to a code, or a bad IV, etc. I just make sure to have pharmacy change times if needed and document why it was late. It has worked for me so far. There are some things that we learmed in school, that we can take "shortcuts" with, but meds are not one of them. Step back, take a time out, and quadruple check if necessary. Even if I am rushed, I take the extra few minutes to do this. I will never say that I won't ever again make a med error, but I will always do my best to ensure that I don't!
MrsGPR
62 Posts
D,
If you check local nursing schools that offer continuing education programs, you may be able to find a refresher pharmacology class. My school offers one, as well as other refresher courses. I hope this helps - good luck to you!
PS - to look on the bright side, you will have a super strong foundation in Pharm after you take a refresher!!:yelclap: