My first med error :(

[RNin2007]

We had a transport kid, 36 3/7 weeker admitted for RDS, and r/o sepsis. I was 2 days into my 5 day stretch and when I went to pull my meds off our MAK (computer medication program) I did not see his antibiotics listed so I thought they were D/C'd. They did not show on his profile at all. The same thing happened to another nurse the same night (both of us KNOW we looked up our meds and they did not appear in the computer). I kick myself because I should have looked in the orders to see if it had been written as D/C'd. So I never gave the kid (who was 3 days old at this point) his Amp or Gent. I found out the next night when I showed up and the charge nurse asked me if I forgot to give my meds....I explained to her what happened. The doc D/C'd the antibiotics the day I came back to work anyway, but I still can't help feeling bad about it. The other nurse I was working with who had the same issue, made a call to the people that run our MAK system to ask if anyone else was having the same problems but they said no. I can't help but kick myself for this. I know it's not a huge deal but I still feel crappy about the whole situation.

[spartangal1989]

It sounds like you are on the right track to prevent further med errors. Whats important is that we learn from our mistakes. Of course you feel bad, I personally feel its important to allow time to feel a little bad (we do work with very precious patients). You allow time to grieve your error (which by the way is VERY minor compared to ones I have seen) and then you move on, confident that you have a system in place to prevent that error from happening again. But rest assured in your career, you will make another med error (just not the same one as you did!)

A wise man learns from his mistakes, a genius learns from the mistakes of other:)

[NICU_babyRN, BSN, RN]

Don't too much!!

You'll learn from your mistake and something like this one wont happen again.

I gave MEROPENEM at the completely WRONG time once, the kid got almost twice the recommended amount in 18hrs. I was fresh off orientation and we were using a brand new computerized system. It happens....ya learn and keep on going!