Please help me, I'm in trouble.

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello. I have been a nurse for about eight years. I have been employeed in a skilled rehab unit for about five years. This past weekend I made a serious med error. I gave a resident another residents medication. I administered oxycontin 20 Mg instead of the ordered oxycodone 10 '=: This was realized at change of shift. As soon as I realized the error I assessed the ot and contacted the doctor as well as told the nurse assuming care of this pt. I told my supervisor that I had made a med error and she said make sure you call the MD. I did not go into details as it wa already two hours past the end of my shift, and you do get written up for being late out. Not to mention that I had twice as many patients as I should have due to staffing problems. Later that same night the supervisor calls me for clarification. I did not fill out the proper paper work. More importantly I wrote in the drug manifest "Wasted" To adjust the count from the pt that I took the meds from. After I wrote that I thought well its not actually wasted so I documented beside my signature "Given to wrong patient" In a very small space. Well long story short a few days later my DON questioned me statng that I falsified the document, I was being terminated and reported to theboard. I am in complete shock.. she said it looked like a cover up. But remember I told the other nurse and called the doctor and no harm came to the patient...thank god. Now im out of a job, will face the board and I don't know how to get a job after being fired. Please please help me.

Shelley1117RN, Please find a friend or go to your local bank for the money for an attorney. Hind sight is always twenty twenty, meaning a nurse should always have his/her own . Just so you are aware the cost is a one time yearly deal. Enough of that. Hopefully you documented in both patient's charts that the incident happened and that you notified the nursing supervisor and whoever els according to protocol. the fact that you notated even in the margins that the medication was given to the wrong patient will be seen as favorable. As for getting a new job, if you have not be notified by the Board this incident is not one that is required to be declared or discussed with a prospective employer so you can honestly say you do not have any actions before the Board. Go out find yourself a job, hold your head high, make sure you have notes and documentation (if possible)concerning staffing and your actions.

God bless. Nanacarol

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1. Just because she said she would report you doesn't mean she will actually take the time do it.

2. If there is little or no reason to suspect diversion, or a pattern of falsification, the board may not be interested in a one-time incident.

3. There are attorneys who specialize in BON related issues - find one and make an appointment immediately.

You called the doc, and notified your charge. There was no apparent sequelae. Take some slow deep breaths. I don't think you will be in the news. Keep yourself focused on all the things you did correctly!

Best wishes.

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Shelly you need to contact an attorney. I know you say that you can not afford it, but you really need to. There is a website strictly attorneys for nurses it is called TAANA The American Association of Nurse Attorneys...google this and find an attorney....I know things seem bad....but try to focus and be strong....:redpinkhe

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OMG, so sorry this happened to you :crying2:

I would feel the same way, but these people are right, you did everything right, fight for yourself!!!!! :hlk:

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Thank you to everyone. Im so sad and alone. I really did screw up...and no I do not have liability ins and no I did nto document the error in the chart as I always heard that was a no no, im screwed.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

How on earth can u be reported without a formal enquiry by the BON and the hospital? You should have reported this to a senior nurse then completed all the correct paperwork, then informed the nursing shift manager for the hospital.

I would call the BON and query everything re this. How can they do this as casually as they have done?

I don't think you should have written anything in the book/manifest re this. It does look like ur trying to cover something up. We don't do that in Australian hospitals- we are not allowed to write notes in the drug book, and if there is an error, say a RN wrote down the wrong amount of a drug it has to be crossed out with a single line and signed by two RNs, so it's still readable.

I dunno what country ur from. We would complete incident reports. The only other person to write notes in the drug book when counting the drugs are our pharmacists, and then it's usually a senior pharmacist.

You need to be extremely careful with any durgs, do all your checks, check them 4 or 5 times if you need to, and always check with another RN. I know people get stressed and get behind, but it saves drug errors in the end.

Contact a senior manager at the hospital and get some advice if you can, I don't know what else to suggest at the mo, but I hope u get it sorted out.

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Specializes in MDS/Office.
Oh God, I want to just die.

Hang in there...It seems as though in this day & age, nurses are reported to the Board for anything...another tactic to "keep nurses in their place". Yes, I would suggest legal advice if the Board decides to take action against your license. :hug:

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Get a lawyer, whatever it takes, this is your career. You made some minor mistakes, not career ending gigantic lapes of judgement. Good luck.

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I'm not so sure I would contact any one- except a nurse attorney (RN JD) That nurse attorney web site sounds like the best place to start. I would not contact any one from that health care facility.

The thing that I think is the question is - what are the state manatory reporting regulations of your state. That infor you could probably find in you state BON WEB SITE- again, I would not go calling them yet. Look on the main BON web site - national states boards of nursing. They have alot of information on that site about mandatory reporting, what things are reportable and which infractions are at which level. I think there are 3 levels the least one being- personality conflicts- that BON web site comes right out and states- they want to hear nothing about personality conflicts. Documentation is on ther and it is a level one. I don't think it will be so much a matte rof a med error as the documentation issue. But then again I'm not a RN JD, only an RN. There is a blog on nurse.com about a nurse reported for 2 med errors and the blog is about his journey and experience with the BON. The blog I thinks states it takes about 6-18 months before the BON contacts a licensee about any kind of complaint. I would find a RN JD and I would start writing down every thing about that shift- time it began, your patient load, interruptions, distractions- other staff refusing to do their assignments, refusing to help when asked. I would have names, dates and times as best you can recall. I wouldn't go asking for other staffers "permission" to be witness, I would leave that to the attorney- they can be summoned whether they want to be or not(hostile witness- but they still have to tell the truth whether they want to or not- or go to jail) I would still go to unemployment- You have nothing to loose. You may not feel up to it, but you need to look for a job- not necessarily nursing- you need income, which may help determine whether you would qualify for a "pro-bono"( free) attorney.( I learned all this legal stuff having to go through a divorce) The internet is a good source for INFORMATION- but take it with a grain of salt and it's free, somewhat/ cable bill charge. Don't get all worked up yet- get some real facts and answers. There may be something to why you were "saddled with a greater than usual patient load"-!! That is something I would definately tell the RN JD. Good luck

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I'm sorry for your job loss. What is your hospital's policy for wasting narcotics? Aren't you supposed have another nurse witness the waste with you? If not, your employer will suspect you of diversion. Get a lawyer. Good luck.

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After reading you post again- you posted, you even documented next to your name/signiture- "given to the wrong patient" that's NOT false documentation- that's documenting the truth! You notified all the right parties- the doc, the on coming nurse, the supervisor- AND documented by your name what happened- that's not a cover up!! What the hell is wrong is with that DON- can she/he/it not read.? I now think the big question is going to be- hope that narc sheet doesn't disappear.!! If you can find a JD RN and he/she takes your case- I would hope the insident goes to the BON- That DON will be in major do do- the unsafe staffing ratio/ and especially if that narc sheet disappears- thats a DEA( federal DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION) document!! ALL health care facilites have to keep them narc sign out sheets as permenant records. Go to unemployment- they are a state agency linked to other state agencies- Office of the Attorney General being one- removing documents is a federal offense especially drug related inventory records. You may come out of this with a DON in the federal hot seat. SWEET!!

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