coldcore

Hey, So I am a relatively new nurse, I am just about to hit 1 year experience. I have also just had my first experience with a potential med error. To give some background, today at work was a very busy day, our facility has a tendency of discharging everyone in a day and then getting 6 admissions within an hour usually during change of shift from the ED when there are only 4 RNs on the tele floor I work on, I ended up with 2 admissions within one hour one of those had just arrived while this error was made. So needless to say I was stressed and trying to keep from drowning during this period of time, not an excuse but an understanding of my mistake and an understanding of needing to slow down in those moments especially for situations like that. With that out of the way my patient was requesting some dilaudid, went and got it, found someone to waste, grabbed the IV potassium she also needed. This patient also experienced anxiety about her IV becoming infected and I made sure to diligently keep sterile technique while dealing with her. So during this process while trying to flush her IV, start the potassium and fumble around with a few things in my hands somehow I manged to scan the potassium but forget to scan the pain med. Gave her the correct dose of narcotic but disposed of the empty container into the sharps container before scanning. I only realized this error maybe two hours later, went back noticed when I scanned the potassium and did a scan override of the bar code correctly documenting the time this was given. My concern is this is going to result in some form of discipline even up to termination for doing a scan override. However I feel I used the override in a correct manor, I remember exactly what happened, I know where that container is, the barcode is in fact unreadable as I cant get to it in its resting place within the sharps container. I know this is probably unreasonable to suggest but if they want to investigate if we cracked that container open, I have no doubt all would be accounted for. I do also know that this does not look good upon myself if someone digs into the documentation. This is the first time something like this has happened to me, I dont have a track record of issues with med documentation, do you believe something will come of this and does anyone have advice or experience in this matter?

Okay thank you everyone for the responses, I have 3 job offers currently from the hospital I currently live nearby. I have untill Friday to decide and accept an offer. The recruiter is still waiting to hear back from their ICU and ed department managers from that same hospital as to whether they will also provide an offer. I still have not heard back from the hospital close to where my brother lives so I shall attempt to contact them this week. I guess as of know i will focus with what is on the table and take an offer this week. Then like some of you have suggested if things go well with Hopkins and it is a better fit for me I will call them and try to recline the offer

Hello, So I had one interview this past Friday at a smaller hospital in the ICU around a 2 1/2 hour drive from where I live. My brother however lives on the same street as this hospital which is why I applied as I can live with him while finding my own place, and I was told to expect them to contact me. I had another interview this morning at a local hospital in the ICU and have other interviews at this same hospital scheduled this Friday in their ED and some med surg floors. However, I also applied to John Hopkins about a month ago, it seems with them being a larger system things tend to take longer as they have just set up an interview with me today on a med surg floor. The problem is I only have fridays off from school and management is not in on the weekend. As a result the earliest they could interview me is not until may 4th. Again this is a far drive for me about 3 hours maybe more however it is an hour drive to Baltimore from where my brother lives. Obviously the name is what has attracted me and a desire to leave my current area that I am living in. I do very much like the area in which my brother lives. While I don't have a desire to work med surg long term I do not mind for a year or two to get my foot in the door and transfer from there. I also believe it can be a benefit to my long term goals of graduate school. With all that aside I need some advise. I'm sure I can start to expect hearing back from these hospitals as soon as this week possibly into the next, placing job offers. I do not imagine I can stall those offers given that amount of time until this interview in may. While given the opportunity I would definitely accept the position at John Hopkins, but I'm worried about taking that risk and squandering other offers, if for whatever reason after the interview they chose not to hire me. What are my options here? I'd also appreciate and words of advise or opinions, I know this is ultimately my decision but it can help me in making that choice.

Hello all, thank you for your kind words and thoughts. Figured I would give an update on case you were all wondering. Turns out whe didn't respond as our school email directory has two emails listed for her. One that is his main .edu email and another that goes to an email box that our school website uses called direct 2 live. I didn't realize this so I was sending an email to the one she doesn't check very often. I guess that's one way to get yourself in a panic lol. She was very understanding, she checked and saw I was trying to contact her. I was excused the day of his funeral, although we had a field trip to the state Capitol that day so i was given a paper assignment as a make up for this class objective. So moral of the story don't trust gmail by typing in a name rather than a full email address. Thank you everyone

I hope this is all unnecessary worry and I shall find out by tomorrow morning. I mean that contract signed stating all assignments will be completed on time is to ensure I keep on myself as I was excessively absent last semester due to a period of depression for which I wrongly did not seek out help for. I am having the best semester I have ever had, I show up to clinical 15 minutes early every week which even resulted in my instructor emailing my professor to point out how well I have been doing. A lot of this is thanks to my grandfather, he helped me when I wasnt sure if I was going to graduate or not this year after failing a s. I did not want to let him or myself down and decided to work my butt off this semester. So to have that taken away due to an reasonable emotional response incapacitating me from professionally recording my voice for a discussion for one day is extremely upsetting to me. It is already hard enough to know he wont see me graduate let alone be set back. Again hypothetical but I cant find a valid reason as to ignore my attempts at communication for four days now. If this does indeed come to pass do you think there is a way to fight this as being unethical and not the intention of the contract? I cant see this as ethical, that contract has an intended desire which I have been achieving it has not been broken due to laziness or lack of self direction, it was broken due to extreme unforeseen circumstance and wont be again. I can not find a policy for my university besides to contact the dean of student affairs in the event of a death so arrangements can be made for miss time and assignments. However, I do not fall under normal circumstances with this contract, but do you believe if I took it hire up I can win my case that I am excelling with the coursework laid before me I just needed a little time to grieve before continuing at excelling.

I understand this, and normally I would assume this to be the case. The only reason I stated as such and honestly, the reason behind all my concern, is a friend of mine forwarded me and email she sent yesterday stating that she was traveling and would respond to her request today. I would be happy with receiving that very same email, but no reply since contacting her on Thursday and Saturday.

Thank you both for your replies and I agree, missing the funeral of someone that was very important in my life should be out of the question. The fact I may have to make that choice disgusts me. Do you believe I should email the dean tonight? I will be back in class tomorrow, I dont want to fall behind in the case that I am not dismissed so I will see my professor tomorrow morning. At the same time on top of everything else going on it is driving my nuts sitting here wondering if I have already been dismissed from the semester and just havnt been told yet. It bothers me I can email someone sharing personal information of the death of a loved one and not be bothered with a reply.

Hello, I have a bit of a unique situation here. First a bit of background, I am in my last semester of senior year. However, last semester I failed my nursing course by 2 points due to myself not handing a breakup well and going through a period of depression. I met with the dean of my school and I was allowed the chance to re-mediate that course and graduate on time as I explained my situation while also having my record of good grades previously to back me up, so long as some conditions were met. I needed to hand in all assignments on time, and may not miss a single day of class or clinical. I also, under my own direction, started speaking to a therapist to better myself and work towards not allowing the end of relationships to affect me so greatly that i neglect my obligations in life. Fast forward to now, I have a 4.0 currently in the last two classes i need to graduate, have not missed a day of class or clinical, scored in the top 94 percentile on the HESI exam, highest in my class. Unfortunately however, my grandfather who i was very close to, lived directly behind my house and who I helped care for these past few years has just passed away of unexpected cardiac arrest in his sleep on Thursday. I received the news from my mother while at my clinical site and asked to be excused so I can go be with my family. My instructor was very understanding and allowed me to do such. The other issue I had was an assignment for the remediation course that was due the next day at 4pm. This assignment included watching a video and then making your own video or audio response. Naturally I did not feel I was in a proper state to be able to record myself hours after his death and the following day I was tied up at the funeral home helping make arrangements as my mother was in very bad shape over losing her father. I emailed my professor who is in charge of the remediation and my contract of missing no time in the hopes of a extension on this one assignment. I had other assignments such as online practice exams and a case study, all of which are completed and I will hand in on time. However, my teacher has still not responded to my repeated email attempts as to my situation and missing that voice recording assignment. The other accommodation I asked for is to be able to miss the day of his funeral this week as I am to give his eulogy. This leads me to worry that I am going to be dismissed from the program and to have to repeat the semester next year as I have been given no response. I know nobody here has any answers besides my professor but I am curious as to your thoughts on this situation. Looking back I wish I just completed the assignment, even if I had to record my shaky voice and wipe away tears in between. I hoped that given this circumstance I expected such a small accommodation as an extra day on an assignment that required me to speak and share it with others that also failed and are in this class. I emailed her an hour after I found out myself and asked her for the extended time, but never received a response as to a yes or no. I wish she would just tell me that she at least received the emails i sent. I do know she was traveling as she sent an email to one of my friends last night stating as such, but why did she not offer me the same courtesy so I know my emails have been read. I can even provide death certificates if they are concerned as to the truthfulness of the story. I am not sure what else to do however or if I should contact my dean. I dont plan on missing extra days, even if they tell me I can not attend his funeral I shall miss it, I do not plan on asking for any other extensions on assignments or tests. I just needed an extra day to consolidate myself so I can speak clearly at my computer. Thank you for any feedback or input into my situation you may provide me.