Medication error

[BlessedbyGod]

I don't know if this has been discussed before so please bear with me. I would like to know(those that can be honest)if any of you have ever given a patient the wrong medication. If you did, how did it play out and how did it effect you.

I've been a nurse since "05" and it has happened to me once and I felt sooooo bad, but fortunately the medicince that I mistaken gave was close to the same drug class as the medication he should have gotten and he didn't have a reaction.

To make a long story short, patients mom found out when I was calling to tell her that he was out of his medication and I quoted what he received and she said that's not what he was suppose to get and after really looking, I said your right ma'am. I could have kicked myself in the rear:o, the patients mom is a nurse so she didn't get as upset with me as she could have because she said she knows it can happen.

On two other occasions, it was caught before anything was given. I don't feel this makes me not a good nurse, I know I just have to more aware of what I'm doing.

[AirforceRN, RN]

It happens to everyone...the good side is once it happens you won't make the same mistake twice...we are all human

[Christie RN2006]

My dad did something like that when he was doing his clinicals in the ED to get his medic license. The nurse told him what room to give the medication in, but he didn't double check to make sure it was the right patients, medication, etc. Luckily for him, the patient didn't have a reaction to the medication either.

Where I work now, they have a computer system where we have to scan the patients bracelet and the medication before giving it to verify the "rights" and also to document the administration. It has saved me once... I went into the wrong room and didn't even realize it until I check the bracelets! The patient even answered to the wrong name!

Be very very careful because next time (hopefully there isn't a next time) it could turn out to be a fatal mistake! Always make sure to check those "rights" that we all hated learning in nursing school!

[cheshirecat]

Those Rights for the administration of medicine are great. But how come they left out the most important Right.

The Right number of patients per nurse ratio?

I asked this at our last mandatory update. Unfortunately, I was not given an answer.

[deeDawntee, RN]

Those Rights for the administration of medicine are great. But how come they left out the most important Right.

The Right number of patients per nurse ratio?

I asked this at our last mandatory update. Unfortunately, I was not given an answer.

Excellent question and one that deserves an answer!!!

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Excellent question and one that deserves an answer!!!

MONEY

[deeDawntee, RN]

MONEY

The bottom line!! Those turkeys!! Another nurse's career made miserable by Administration.

[TrudyRN]

On two other occasions, it was caught before anything was given.

Can you clarify this statement? Do you mean that this same patient was involved in 2 near-misses?

Or that you were, with other patients?

Or what?

[deeDawntee, RN]

To the OP. You must forgive yourself. Everyone of us have and/or will make mistakes. I know it makes you feel like crap, but please be kind to yourself and let it go. Join the crowd, man, it is part of being human. Often we are soooo busy it adds to the potential and likelihood of errors. That's why this thread got off track a bit, none of us are blaming you, the system is set up to potentiate mistakes. You must give yourself a break. :icon_hug::heartbeat

[4theBetterGetter, RN]

Don't beat yourself up! We all make mistakes....learn from it. Remember...the ones who don't make mistakes aren't doing anything!

[Haunted]

Don't beat yourself up! We all make mistakes....learn from it. Remember...the ones who don't make mistakes aren't doing anything!

So true!!!! I remember one facility I went to quite a lot thru registry there was a staff RN who would show up 2 hours before her shift and start going thru the charts for her assigned patients and start writing "incident" letters if she noted that medications were given late, not given etc.

One day she was going over 2 of my patient charts at the station and writing copious little notes. I said "may I have my chart please?" she replied she wasn't done with it. I said, yes you are and closed it , took it to another work station and did my charting. What a "B". She was also famous for intimidating the off going nurse to do dressing changes and treatments that were ordered QD. Every day, get it? She would start whipping out her note pad and writing you up for leaving something for her to do!

What a waste of time to have to explian to the CN the following shift that the med wasn't given because the patient was off the floor (noted in the med sheet) or the patient declined, also noted, or in many cases was discontinued. Turns out she had a nasty phobia of medicating or treating patients and one day she gave the wrong IVPB ATB to a patient who was allergic and she got the incident report! Karma Baby! The patient was OK but it always set my teeth on edge when I saw her coming my way to get report. You can never go wrong with the "rights".

[icie rn, ADN, RN]

Haunted;

What a fantastic story. I would not like to work with such a nurse either. Those two hours she came in early should have pointed out to everyone her life was sadly lacking in many areas. I hope you are working with a better bunch of nurses now. We all make mistakes, hopefully most are not too serious and we learn from them. Have a good weekend.