OH MY GOD I gave the wrong pill!!

[nursing_student84]

I Work as a med aide in a retirement home. This resident who I always give a hydrocodone pill to at 3am was an accidental switch by me and was given somone elses hydrocodone pill. This other pill was a higher dose. The nurse calls me this morning and tells me about what i did. The resident is ok but now I don't wan't to become a nurse anymore......Any thoughts.

[iwanna]

Oh sweetie, don't let one mistake deter you from pursuing a nursing career. As someone mentioned, any nurse says that they have "never" made a med error is likely telling a fib. And, it does make you doubt yourself. I have been there, so I know how you are feeling. But, I learned a very big lesson. I know what I did wrong and how to correct it. I reported myself and had unit RN fill out incident report. I was called up front to discuss my med error, and came up with a plan to prevent it in the future. If you catch the mistake yourself, report it. If someone else catches it, own up to it. Always remember patient safety is the most important of all. Retrace what you have done wrong, and come up with a plan to prevent it in the future.

[hickvilleRN]

Everyone makes mistakes, med aides AND NURSES! Don't let it deter you from becoming a nurse. The fact that you are so concerned about it makes me believe you will be a very good nurse and cautious about the care you give. Just let this experience serve as a reminder to be very careful when giving medications. Good luck to you!