Medication error! Need help!

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Fellow nurses. I am a new nurse. I just started on my first job in a nursing home. I am in night shift (11-7). Everything is doing fine..first day as an orientee until 5th day. However on my 6th day (yes! I worked 6 days straight. It should be 7 day straight), I made a biggest mistake of my life. Medication error! My fellow nurse helped me to prepare the meds for one of the resident. She helped me because she knew that Im a new one. She pulled out a synthroid 25mg and asked me to give it to the resident in Room B (thats what I heard ROOM B.) I ADMINISTERED IT TO BUT WHEN I CAME BACK TO HER SHE TOLD ME IT'S FOR THE RESIDENT IN ROOM D. The daughter of the resident came to us and asked whats the medication. The daughter already knew her mom is not taking any meds in the morning. We decided to tell her the truth. We notified the physician and called DON to let them know what happen. The physician told us that we dont have to worry and wont have any effect on the resident. We checked the v/s and it's all normal. Her daughter wants her mom to transfer to the hospital and that what we did. Her daughter reported us to DCF, investigator came to talk with us and we told him what happen. DON TOLD US DONT WORRY IT HAPPENS BUT BECAUSE THE FAMILY REPORTED US TO DCF, THEY WILL CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION. We are suspended also until the invesgation is done.Now, its been 4 days and I dont know what to do? I am so stressed and never have any sleep since then. AM I LOOSING MY LICENSED? AM I getting a lawsuit? I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO KNOW. I FEEL USELESS. Idont know if could still go back to work. My confidence was shattered. I need help. As a new nurse, this thing makes me realize imight not be cut for this profession. Please help me.

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Did the family member talk to the physician so they could be reassured that there were no harmful effects expected? It is unfortunate that they demanded a hospital transfer. Imagine the stress that put on their elderly family member. They probably did more harm by putting the resident in the hospital than a single Synthroid dose could do.

As far as the error, it's a hard way to learn a lesson, but it happens and we improve ourselves when use it as a learning experience. Where did the 5 rights go wrong? We all will have errors, some minor, some more significant. Be thankful this one did not harm the patient. Unfortunately you encountered a hyper-critical family who made it a much bigger event.

This is not going to lead to losing your license. If that were true, there would be very few nurses left! As for your job, the DON sounds reasonable. I think you'll be fine and will be a better nurse because of it.

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Thankyou for your reply.I dont know who im gunna talk to. I just stay in my room alone thinking about that. IM SO SCARED. The resident is safe. They dOnt want to talk with the physician. But we let them kno what the physician said. however they still demanded a transfer to hospital. I just started as RN and this thing happened. I dont know what will happen to me. Feel like this is the end of my career. Im so stressed I dont really know what to do anymore

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

First, breath. We ALL make mistakes. Every single one of us has or will make a mistake at some point. You are not defined by your job. You are much more than a nurse.

You will be much harder on yourself than anyone else ever will be, give yourself some credit.

God does not abandon us when we make mistakes, and He is so much bigger than even our biggest problems and fears.

You need to take a breath, stand back from the entire situation and reevaluate your worth because you are zoomed way too far in.

Look at the big picture, remember that you are certainly not alone, reach out to family and friends. If you don't have to be alone, dont be. Go be with someone, ask for help from your group of friends, coworkers. Don't seclude yourself, that'll only give you more time to dwell.

Again, this is not something that each of us hasn't experienced in some way before, heck, I made a mistake the other day and forgot to waste 2mg if morphine. I had to write up a form explaining how I made the mistake and what I'd do differently to prevent that from happening again. It won't be the last mistake I make.

You are human, and flawed by nature, but you are not valued based solely on what you do.

Give this to God and move on.

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Thank you for your reply and support. I amreally scared that I haven't had any sleep since then. I got suspended. I feel ashamed to myself. If I just prepared and pull the meds by myself with the mar in my front, this thing wont happen. I always double triple check it.If I'm not sure about meds I always ask even though it takes a lot of my time to prepare the meds.I dont know what will happen to me.I just started this journey and now it looks like the end. It's so embarrassing .I really hate myself...so so much :'(

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