med error?

[sweetieann]

If I am orienting an agency nurse to the floor over the course of a few days, and she makes a med error at that time, am I liable? She is an RN with active license.

Thanks!

[franciscangypsy]

If she's the orientee and a full-fledged RN, I would think that she is responsible. I don't know for a fact, though.

[bill4745, RN]

She is most likely completely liable.

[passredskins1]

if u were directly orienting her...both of u are responsible b/c u should have been "overseeing" her......

[Blackheartednurse]

I think you both are..she is new and you suppose to check her work...I know in perfect world you would have time to be with her every minute of your shared shift but sometimes you begin to establish trust in your orientee and let them them administer drugs on their own,but remember they are still learning and they need your back up.I'm a new nurse orienting on a cardiac floor and I almost made a mistake couple weeks ago and my preceptor caught it the last minute,she was concerned for a moment after this accident and she kept an eye on me for a while,but slowly she started to regain her trust in me and now I basically do my meds alone (even serious meds like morphine pushes,a lots of pain meds overall,blood pressure meds and diuretics) but I'm also extra carefull now,I check my med sheet 3 times and I always split my pill before I go into to my patient room.Basically you often learn from your mistakes.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

I think you both are..she is new and you suppose to check her work...I know in perfect world you would have time to be with her every minute of your shared shift but sometimes you begin to establish trust in your orientee and let them them administer drugs on their own,but remember they are still learning and they need your back up.I'm a new nurse orienting on a cardiac floor and I almost made a mistake couple weeks ago and my preceptor caught it the last minute,she was concerned for a moment after this accident and she kept an eye on me for a while,but slowly she started to regain her trust in me and now I basically do my meds alone (even serious meds like morphine pushes,a lots of pain meds overall,blood pressure meds and diuretics) but I'm also extra carefull now,I check my med sheet 3 times and I always split my pill before I go into to my patient room.Basically you often learn from your mistakes.

This nurse isn't a new nurse, though. That makes a difference, IMO.

OP, the biggest point in orientating this nurse, since you say she is an agency nurse, is to get her familiar with your floor. She's an RN, she has a license, she's responsible for the meds she gives. If the error would be due to not knowing the system/MAR well enough, some of the responsibility COULD fall on you; however, I still believe the bulk of fault for a med error in this case is hers, should one occur.

[Up2nogood RN, RN]

You shouldn't be held responsible for another licensed nurse with experience. If you give her a proper orientation meaning policies and procedures, where things are, how your facility identifies your residents, and clear job expectations and duties you should be good to go. She's an agency nurse and shouldn't need her hand held.