Need advice.

[prudence09]

So last night I got a text from one of the nurses that I worked with the night before that one of my patients surgery was not scheduled. I have never in the year that I have been working have had to schedule a surgery. The secretary faxes the orders the areas they need to go to be scheduled. Well the secretary wrote that she faxed the order so I noted it. Well apparently it was never scheduled and I was written up by another nurse. The first time to my knowledge. I noted it because what the secretaries do is fax it to the supps. so it can be scheduled and she wrote faxed. My manager will kill me and I'm freaking out because I'm afraid I will lose my job. So any advice on how to explain what happened when I'm called into the office and asked what was I thinking?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Stick with the truth and tell them what you just told us. You can't undo what happened, and no story you can make up will put you in a good light (neverminding that you will be fired if you do lie about this and the truth comes out), so be honest as it was a honest mistake, and hope for the best.

Then in the future--or at least with this particular secretary--make it a point to either fax the orders yourself or confirm that they arrived at their destination.

Best of luck!