Medication error while on probation

Nurse Neddie · Apr 29, 2013

I am a new nurse had my LPN license for about 1 month and I worked at a LTC facility. While still on probation and working a 16 hour day, I made a med error. I gave a resident 0.50 instead of 0.25 xanax. I owned up to it, called the on call dr. like I was supposed to and the dr. said not to worry becasue the resident gets both doses during the day. I was working on a new unit day shift after just having worked 2 units overnight. The facility let me go for the error and then said they were going to notify the state. Should I be worried about losing my license? I felt terrible about the error. The facility then went thru the books and found I made a couple more errors, gave med and forgot to initial MAR, and gave 1 pill instead of 2 pills. I was exhaused from working all night and I was underwater with the 8am pill pass because I didnt' know any of the residents and the room numbers in the MAR didn't match the room numbers of the residents. I also didn't give one lady her meds because it was 4 hours too late by the time I got to her room. Some of the residents had 19 meds and a patch or two. I don't have malpractice insurance because I am so new to the profession. Also, one lady got her noon meds at 10:00 because she said she was going out and wouldn't be back in time for noon med pass. Any advice? I know I messed but I dont' want to lose my license. The facility I was working in was tagged by the state for many, many things and they said state was due in at any minute this month to reevaluate.[/quote']
I'm sorry this happened to you, and please remember that if you don't feel 100% don't agree to work because when something happens its your license..... I really dont know what to say about them reporting you to the bon.... I would check on my license on line to see if they really did it. But pray, I've been a lpn for 3 years and I don't know a single person that a facility has reported..

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Apr 29, 2013

Posts moved to new thread in nursing & patient medications as has nothing to do with preparing for the NCLEX.

NurseDirtyBird · May 1, 2013

Those are pretty minor med errors to report to the state. It sounds like the facility is just trying to make themselves look better for when state shows up. You got thrown under the bus, and your being brand new just made it easier for them to do it. Good luck, and good riddance to a crappy facility.

mammasews · May 1, 2013

Thanks for you post. It made me feel a little better. I was told that if I refused to work the additional 8 hours it would be called abandonment and I would lose my license. I only had one 15 minute break for the whole 16 hours and we are not allowed to have any food or beverage out on the floor. I feel bad for the remaining nurses because they all now have to pick up the slack. Word has gotten around and no one will apply for any jobs there. I wish someone had told me about this place before I was hired. BTW, they never did fingerprint me before they put me out on the floor to work. Isn't that a violation? I don't think they ever did a background check either.

4_Sq · May 2, 2013

Do you have a nursing union that you could go to for some support?

It sounds to me that you are "over worked" and that time constraints at your job make it more difficult to give medications safely.

I wonder if you could approach management with ideas to make medication dispensing safer, e.g. staffing levels, less interruptions, shorter working hours and that type of thing.

You were responsible when you acknowledged your medication error with the xanax.

Maybe do some research on the safe administration of medications for your own information.

I would not beat myself up if I were you. I would look at some ways to problem solve for myself. Do you need to change jobs?

Your nursing licence is not worth loosing over an employment assignment that is not safe in the first place.

I wish you all the best in your practice and hope that you can find resolution to this problem.

Does your employer have a support system in place for new graduate nurses, I think that this would help! :cautious:

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · May 2, 2013

Who takes only .25 of a xanax?

mammasews · May 2, 2013

I don't know about the 0.25 xanax but that person also had 0.50 xanax in the same med cart and I gave the wrong dose so it was my mistake. I called it in to the on call dr and tshe laughed and said the person needed more than they could prescribe because the patient was a medacaid recipient and the state was making doctors down the doses to get thenm on the lowest dose possible.

mammasews · May 2, 2013

There is no nursing union. Before I was terminated I thought about calling some unions and seeing if they would come in and try to unionize us. Maybe if I had done that the management of the LTC facility would have taken notice about the seriousness of the patient to staff ratios, then again, maybe not. It is all about the bottom line.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · May 2, 2013

You were set up for failure. Try not agonize and move on to a hopefully better place.

morte, LPN, LVN · May 2, 2013

...so they tried the old "it's abandonment" crap .....geesh...check with you BON to find out what abandonment really is! and contact your malpractice insurer, now!