Notanewnurse

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I've been a nurse for 15 years. I never went to college until 34 years of age. I have experience in several areas. Recently, after all these years I find myself making stupid mistakes no matter how careful I try to be. What is wrong with me? I feel so stupid. These mistakes have not caused patient harm but I am racked with so much anxiety over everything. To top it off I'm in perimenopause and my emotions are over the top. Any advice from seasoned nurses?...I'll take any words of wisdom right now. I'm sinking

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

See your doctor. Perimenopause brings about a lot of hormone flux that can impact memory and emotions.

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Thank you...I have...I chose not to take the hormone replacement therapy due to side effects

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I was wondering if it is out of the ordinary for a seasoned nurse to make errors...I know we are all human but I seem to be a total screw up lately

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
5 hours ago, OneRN50 said:

Thank you...I have...I chose not to take the hormone replacement therapy due to side effects

As a male I am a bit wary of asking/saying this but...

Do you think that one of the side effects of NOT taking HRT is the signs you are describing?

27 minutes ago, OneRN50 said:

I was wondering if it is out of the ordinary for a seasoned nurse to make errors...I know we are all human but I seem to be a total screw up lately

Meh, we all make mistakes and sometimes they can all congregate together so that you look as if you should never be allowed into a hospital again. It can be an age thing - not hormonal - or just a run of bad decisions/luck/whatever.

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Thank you...I appreciate it and am guilty of overthinking things...the anxiety is killing my life...I take Pristiq but maybe need a med change. I am changing jobs and know that will also help

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It would help to know specifically what are the mistakes?

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I am peri and my issues are word-finding. I cannot think of the right words for things sometimes.

I also forget things, but nothing that is dangerous.

I have not talked to my GYN about HRT, I want to avoid that.

Hope you can get some relief!!

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My recent error was sending a patient home with too many Suboxone tabs as I had told the doctor the amount he had remaining and assumed she would send the whole amount......we had to reach to reach the patient and luckily he brought the extra tabs back

It was an unexpected last minute discharge and we were super busy...I should have retrieved the chart before discharging him which I ALWAYS do...dont know why i didnt think of it this time

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
15 hours ago, OneRN50 said:

I was wondering if it is out of the ordinary for a seasoned nurse to make errors...I know we are all human but I seem to be a total screw up lately

That is like asking if whether it is normal for humans to make errors. Yes, its normal.

You admit you were chaotically busy, distracted and skipped a step you would normally take to ensure safety. Knowing you are having a hard time, slow everything down to make sure to double check yourself.

Hang in there.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I've never been the most "focused" person, but since menopause started my memory, concentration, and focus have been lost. I hope it doesn't last a long time. I've heard of some women having symptoms for a decade or more.

It's a struggle on when I work, I often write things on my arm to help. (Alcohol swabs remove ink easily.)

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Specializes in Emergency.

Oops. Duplicate

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