Medication Error - 53 is this for me

[Mindfulone1]

I am a 53 yr. old new grad and just began a substitute school nurse position. I made a medication error and have to go into to talk to the superintendent about it. I used another student's insulin pen to give insulin to a student, unknowingly. Student is fine. Will I get fired for this? I was excited about the possibility of making this a career...Love the kids, schedule and laid back atmosphere. Anyone ever mixed up unlabeled insulin pens before? Should I hang it up and go back to interior design????

[Mindfulone1]

Sent the letter already and didn't dis anyone or any group. Suggested my recommendations to changes in their med policy.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Good luck! Let us know what happens!

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

I would suggest writing down what you want to say.

Those meetings are stressful and it can be really easy to get in the meeting and have a blank

Please dont beat yourself up over this too much. You show me a nurse who states they have never made a med error and I'll show you a liar.

I made an awful med error prior to Christmas. I had gone on early shift 0645 sick and ended up in hospital by the end of the day (although I felt ok at the time) and ended up giving the entirely wrong medication pack to the wrong patient and didnt realise until I went to give the second patients medications and found the first patients meds left.

Fortunately the patient suffered no adverse affects however still feel very bad about it

As others have said you have the opportunity to advocate for change. My employer wanted to know that I had evaluated the situation and why and where I went wrong and what I would do to ensure that it doesnt happen again. Please dont give up on nursing

I am going to have to dig deep for the courage to explain my actions, let alone be the advocate for changing the system... Although I can imagine being so brave...Your words and these comments are inspiring.

[Libby1987]

You can Label us TeamMindful1 :-)

[nursel56]

All the best to you, mindfulone1... you sound great! Whatever happens, I have a feeling you belong in nursing and hope you wouldn't bail out even if this does not turn out with the most desirable outcome for you.

[Mindfulone1]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope the school administration has the ability to fully understand how this might have happened. Part of the problem here is being judged by school administrators rather than experienced nursing administrators.

[Mindfulone1]

Thanks!! Everyone's support has completely changed my perception of this event. Feeling grateful for this alllnurses community of nurses who listen and lend their support and wisdom to their fellow nurses. Vowing to pay it forward....

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

And now, in your capacity as school nurse, you can change that system to mandate adequate labeling with every med brought into your facility! See, you can explain to your principal that the system was flawed, no harm was done, but it was a wake-up call, and you know just how to fix it because of your nursing experience.

See, this will all work out. Make sure the rest of the nurses in your district know about it, and get the chief nurse to mandate the change system-wide.

good luck!

best response here.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Would you want your child injected with a pen that could be contaminated by another child? Y'all make it sound like this is nothing. Read the studies on insulin pens....blood can contaminate the pen and when you use it on a different person....

[FlyingScot, RN]

Would you want your child injected with a pen that could be contaminated by another child? Y'all make it sound like this is nothing. Read the studies on insulin pens....blood can contaminate the pen and when you use it on a different person....

Oh come on! Have you never made a med error? The OP took full responsibility for her mistake. She made no excuses. She's already endured enough self-flogging to the point of thinking she should quit. What would be the point of all of us piling on? She listened to our suggestions, took them to heart and is going to be an agent of change for the safety of ALL the children in her district. What would you rather we do?

[onedayitllbeme]

Would you want your child injected with a pen that could be contaminated by another child? Y'all make it sound like this is nothing. Read the studies on insulin pens....blood can contaminate the pen and when you use it on a different person....

NO, of course not, that is why it is so important that she use what she has learned to help implement the standards recommended to keep children safe, such as labeling pens!! If they are to fire her and bring another substitute school nurse, what is the chance that the next substitute school nurse will be a proponent for helping to improve the policies at the school to make life safer for the children. I have been a substitute school nurse myself, there are no special qualifications necessary except to be an RN in my state, no real training either. I don't even remember if the pens I have used were labelled, now I will be aware of that. I learn so much here at allnurses! I think this nurse has the potential to be a great addition to the nursing profession. humans make mistakes. Doesn't matter the profession.

[Mindfulone1]

Not nothing for sure. I learned;

1. Even if there are no policies for double and triple checking med. admin. in a school setting, it's essential to adhere to a personal standard of double and triple checking when administering meds to anyone.

2. Look your mistakes square in the eye, learn from them, minimize risk by advocating for change if necessary and move forward, no self flagellation required.