Might get kicked out of program...

Published

I have a very big concern. I have recently received a clinical unsatisfactory due to me leaving prepared medication on a medicine cart. I had originally prepared the medication (mixed pills in applesauce) and attempted to administer it to my assigned patient who was unresponsive and refused. I then asked another nurse to help me administer about 1/3 of the medication but that's all my patient would take. I then went to the medicine cart with my remaining medication and there were 4 other nursing students hanging around the cart and the clinical instructor was not present. I asked all of them their opinion on what I should do with the remaining medication and one person said to just throw it away. I wanted to be sure I was doing the right thing so I set the medication down on the cart right in front of the other students and said I was going to look for the clinical instructor to see what I should do. It was during this time that one of the working nurses came and asked who's patent the medicine belonged to and the other students said it was mine which resulted in the nurse not being too happy and reporting it to my instructor. I know, in hindsight, that I should have taken the medicine with me regardless of who was standing around the medicine cart. But is it justified for me to be kicked out of the whole nursing program and have to start again all over? I have an 88 in the class. Be honest, I can handle constructive criticism.

Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

Out of curiousity, is it facility policy to crush and mix all medications together in one cup? This is not best practice, because of exactly the scenario you experienced. If the patient refuses medication, or only takes some, you have no way of knowing how much of what medication has been administered. Medications should be crushed (if allowed) and mixed in separate cups.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

You were blessed with a lucky second chance. Learn from it and good luck with your future. :up:

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Specializes in Critical Care.

As someone else mentioned.. don't crush all your meds and mix them together in an apple sauce. Crush individually and sprinkle on a spoonful of applesauce so you know how much of what medication they took.

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Well great, not even two months later I've made another medication error. I've had several sucessful clinicals (about 6) after that last incident and well, lets just say with this last one I have to make an appeal again. I had two patients for the first time and everything was going great but then I didn't scan the medication of a Nitroglycerin patch for my patient. I had never used this topical medication before and I was so occupied with making sure that I was applying it right that I was careless. I didn't scan the med, I didn't sign it. As soon as I got to the nurses' station one of the nurses asked me if I scanned the medication and signed it and I said no and went back immediately to do so. I feel so stupid! This week has been kinda nuts, my two boys are on their spring break and they've been extra needy this week, I previously have heard from other nursing students that this particular nursing instructor was handing out unsatisfactorys left and right so I was a little more nervous. But honestly, I've had this instructor before and she has told me in the past that I have been one of the best students she's had in clinical! So yeah, I wrote my humbling appeal letter begging for forgiveness once again. If it does not get accepted I will have to start this program all. over. again. I am 29 and living at home with my parents and I've noticed in myself slowly throughout the past two years since I've moved back home that my confidence and motivation is slowly fading and I don't understand why! Is it because my dad doesn't want me to work because he wants me to focus on nursing school? But seriously I am still doing awful so maybe if I worked and had a little one bedroom apartment I might feel more motivated and organised to do better at nursing school. I was married for 8 years to a military guy and was just a stay at home mother (he didn't want me to work) so I definitely believe that also has contributed to me not really having any real discipline or work ethic. I don't know but I REALLY need to get my head in the game here if the dean does decide to let me continue in the program because I have no room left to fail.

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Remember, if it wasnt documented, it didnt happen. I cant really feel sorry for you, because you should have been EXTRA careful this time around. You really need to clear your mind every time you step onto the unit. You cant bring your home life problems into a profession such as nursing. Good luck with whatever happens.

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You are correct in your realization that you need to get your head in the game. In many nursing programs you would be getting dismissed after this last incident and that still might happen. It seems you are entrenched in the dependent role. Perhaps some personal counseling might be helpful. Best wishes.

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Specializes in Thoracic Cardiovasc ICU Med-Surg.

I am still trying to understand how a patient was both unresponsive and yet refused a medication.

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Here's the thing: we all have personal lives that bring us stress and challenges. This won't stop after you finish nursing school. In fact, it'll only be harder, because then you'll be fully responsible for all of your patients, and their medications, along with everything else you have to do during your shift.

Learning how how to keep your personal stress out of your work day is a large part of you learning to become a nurse.

It it doesn't matter if your kids are needy, or if your dad doesn't want you in school. These patients are depending on YOU, and if you can't get yourself focused on the task at hand when you're on the floor, then you are unsafe.

I promise you a family member of a patient harmed by a med error won't care if your kids are on spring break, or if you're going through a divorce, or whatever else.

Med errors happen, to all of us. The key is being able to learn and grow from them and my worry for you is, it doesn't seem like you're growing from your first experience, because I see excuses for your second med error.

Slow down and really focus on what you're doing. This should be a "oh crap" moment for you. There hasn't been a single med error for anyone in my program, and we graduate in a week. I say this not to be mean or make you feel ostracized, I say it to make the point that although med errors DO happen, they should not be happening with the frequency that you are making them.

I do really hope you can learn and grow from this and be more present while you're on the floor.

Good luck.

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The patient had dementia ans she was staring out into space. I talked to her and told her I was going to give her some medication and she stared blankly at me and clenched her teeth when I tried to administer it.

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Well great, not even two months later I've made another medication error. I've had several sucessful clinicals (about 6) after that last incident and well, lets just say with this last one I have to make an appeal again. I had two patients for the first time and everything was going great but then I didn't scan the medication of a Nitroglycerin patch for my patient. I had never used this topical medication before and I was so occupied with making sure that I was applying it right that I was careless. I didn't scan the med, I didn't sign it. As soon as I got to the nurses' station one of the nurses asked me if I scanned the medication and signed it and I said no and went back immediately to do so. I feel so stupid! This week has been kinda nuts, my two boys are on their spring break and they've been extra needy this week, I previously have heard from other nursing students that this particular nursing instructor was handing out unsatisfactorys left and right so I was a little more nervous. But honestly, I've had this instructor before and she has told me in the past that I have been one of the best students she's had in clinical! So yeah, I wrote my humbling appeal letter begging for forgiveness once again. If it does not get accepted I will have to start this program all. over. again. I am 29 and living at home with my parents and I've noticed in myself slowly throughout the past two years since I've moved back home that my confidence and motivation is slowly fading and I don't understand why! Is it because my dad doesn't want me to work because he wants me to focus on nursing school? But seriously I am still doing awful so maybe if I worked and had a little one bedroom apartment I might feel more motivated and organised to do better at nursing school. I was married for 8 years to a military guy and was just a stay at home mother (he didn't want me to work) so I definitely believe that also has contributed to me not really having any real discipline or work ethic. I don't know but I REALLY need to get my head in the game here if the dean does decide to let me continue in the program because I have no room left to fail.

My advice is to stop blaming other people for your mistakes. You're not careless because you live with your parents. You didn't make a med mistake because your kids are on spring break. You don't lack work ethic because you were a stay at home mom. Plenty of stay at home moms (myself included) have a strong work ethic.

Own your mistakes and your behavior. If relevant, talk to someone about your feelings. But realize these are things you have control over.

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My advice is to stop blaming other people for your mistakes. You're not careless because you live with your parents. You didn't make a med mistake because your kids are on spring break. You don't lack work ethic because you were a stay at home mom. Plenty of stay at home moms (myself included) have a strong work ethic.

Own your mistakes and your behavior. If relevant, talk to someone about your feelings. But realize these are things you have control over.

I wish I could like this more than once.

@OP

I was locked up in a house for 6 years by a guy that didn't want me to work (He even withheld my immigration paperwork so that there was no way I could work or even study) - my work ethic is stellar. You have to WANT to work, you have to be disciplined - you're 29, you should be able to discipline yourself! :/

The mistakes you make are yours; they're not your kids, they're not a product of your home life, or your past. Own it, take responsibility, and work diligently to make sure that they don't happen in the future.

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I don't remember asking anyone to feel sorry for me.

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