krissy29RN

i didn't play detective. I just didn't look at the MAR before giving it. I know, big mistake. It's not really like me to do it and there ain't any excuse for that. Now, i will never ever take it for granted, even if time seems to be running shorter than usual. Anyway, i reported the med error, md said to continue with regular dosing and resident showed no side effects. I'm very well aware of my mistake and will not do it ever again. Thanks for your replies, guys! I appreciate the reminders.=)

I work in LTC where meds are in packets and grouped accdg to the times they are to be given. My partner is quite new and is assigned to meds. She left early and i had to finish the med pass. BEfore going home, i check every bin to see if everything has been given. I chanced upon a pack of Septra DS scheduled for 5pm that day that was not detached in the strip. SO i took it and gave it to the resident. WHen i came back to sign the record, there was a signature there already. I don't know now if she had signed it by mistake or if she had taken a PRn packet of Septra ds and gave it earlier. I endorsed this to the next shift but did not get the chance to contact my partner anymore. ANy side effects of having an extra dose of septra? Should they hold the next dose if ever? Resident's order is septra ds bid x 5 days. help!

Same here! That's why it bothers me when i hear people say that all we do in LTC is pass meds! So not true! You handle 45 residents, attend to their concerns and their family's as well, do charting, book appointments (because the unit clerk is gone for the day), then get lucky when someone falls or needs immediate attention...our unit has 2 nurses-one for paperwork and the other for med pass- and even with that, there's still a lot to be done! LTC is not how it used to be...and because of funding, we get heavier residents now...feels like acute care to me!

you absolutely did the right thing. i work in an LTC, too, and when i first started, i wasn't very comfortable sending someone out to emerg...but the very first person i sent out turned out to be with sepsis and would have died if he wasn't treated ASAP... it has taught me to trust my instincts. Don't mind your co-workers...you won't be answering to them if something bad happened to your resident...and they won't be answering to the family as well! It's better to be safe than sorry. =)

Does anyone know how long it will take for cardiac arrest to occur after respiratory arrest without CPR?

i hope so! I'm spending my day off thinking about it!

I actually did not think about it at that time. I know it sounds horrible but i was more focused on that needle hitting the bone and how much i would pull back to still be able to deliver the medication in the muscle. I also didn't think that it was possible to break the needle's tip until i went online and read through some posts about hitting a bone during injection. Now i keep on replaying it in my head to see if I can remember the tip still being intact.

I gave a flu shot to one of our elderly clients and hit a bone using a gauge 23 needle. Her arm didn't look quite that thin as compared to the others so I was surprised when I did the "darting" motion during insertion and hit her bone. What's the possibility that the tip may have broken inside when i hit her bone? Would she be showing any symptoms if there was a needle tip left in her arm? I pulled the needle back a tad when it happened and gave the medication. However, I wasn't able to check the needle tip when I withdrew it from her arm! Help! It's all i can think about now!