Reprimanded for reporting medication errors and so much more

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

Published

I'm currently a nursing student and while at a clinical facility I noticed that another student failed to give insulin to a patient. So before the end of shift I went over the MAR to make sure that everyone had documented and to do a narcotic count before leaving. I brought up the medication error to the instructor and the instructor informed me that the issue would be taken care of. The instructor sends out the students to the med cart to rectify the issues. One of the student, who missed the insulin, begins to shift the blame on me and then proceeded to argue with the RN who was in charge of the cart.

The RN told the student that when she was instructed to give the insulin, why did she withhold it? The student begins to give her reasonings to why she did not give the insulin and in the end, even after taking another glucose reading, she needed to give the insulin because the pt was on a sliding scale and needed the insulin even with the new reading.

Anyhow, there are many incidents that have happened while I was at this facility and each and every time I had brought it up to the instructor, I was told that it would be taken care of.

Today, I just found out that some instructors at this institution are saying I'm the cause of problems at the clinical sites and in a classroom setting.

The same student who made the med error confronted me in front of the class making remarks like "how did you pass term 2, if you don't know how to assess the abdomen". She over heard another student and I discuss about how to differentiate between high pitched and wave like sounds from the abdomen. I never once stated I knew everything about nursing. This is why I'm enrolled in a program and attending daily because I never had previous medical exposure and if I claimed to know it all, I wouldn't be in any program.

After this incident took place, I never felt the need to run and tell to the directors or instructors about the cattiness that took place in the classroom. She said whatever she wanted to say, and I also did the same.

Now, it's apparent that instructors are starting not to like me because of my ethics and willingness to comply to rules and regulations enforced by the board. They are trying to find any flaws that I might make to kick me out of the program.

I posted a status on my FB about the insulin incident. Warning my fellow nursing friends to not make the same mistake and I was brought in by the clinical instructor and was told that my FB status was "unprofessional". Yet, students who came to clinical hungover, late almost every other day and students who believed that taking multiple smoke break is important versus taking care of the patients while on duty. I just have a whole list of "unprofessional" things that were done by the other nursing students. I'm upset that these adult professionals who are instructors are going around my back talking about me in unprofessional ways without once contacting me directly to inquire about the hearsay that has been going on.

I no longer feel safe to step a foot onto the campus and I wake up not wanting to go to class to finish my program. I'm harboring these feelings and thoughts that I haven't been able to tell any instructors or individuals who run this program in fear of being retaliated against.

I need to know what should I do?

Someone else mentioned this but I think it bears repeating, the instructor may have indeed taken the error very seriously, but she has an obligation to not discuss the other student's errors with her classmates. I can't think of how many times I have heard only one side of an issue where a nurse was reprimanded. On rare occasion I have known the backstory and in every case the nurse reprimanded was not sharing the whole picture.

The facebook post though, sort of scary that she could not identify for herself that it was very inappropriate. It's way easier to teach a skill to a nurse, or anyone, than tact and communication skills.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Ready4nu, I was told that everything should be reported to the instructor (by the clinical director) and not to students. I wasn't the one that sent the student to the cart. The reason why the nurse came to the cart was because the student who made the error is a loud person. She was getting upset that a med error was brought up by me. I don't wish for any fellow students who is in the same group to be reprimanded. One doesn't go down, the whole team does. When I'm watching my back, believe me it's only to benefit the rest. Of the three students that made errors that day, two owned up to their mistakes while the one with the insulin error wanted to blame me for their mistake. The post may have seemed like a vent for others but for me, seriously after 12 months in a nursing program a person would know by now how and when to give insulin.

I can't believe how many nurses are not seeing the problem > medication error > patient safety.

Instead, people are saying "lay low". Maybe that's how people were raised and taught, but I wasn't taught like that.

You're right about the students watching me to make mistakes. They have been lately and unfortunately they can have a fun time following me around the clinical settings. If I don't know something, I ask. If I don't know how to do something, I ask for help. We are dealing with human lives not mannequins in SIMS lab.

But I do thank you and others for giving me their inputs.

I realized that nurses are not patient advocates, but rather advocates for their own selfishness.

And the nurses at your clinical site are starting to not like you? Imagine that!

In the first place, you're a student. I'm sure you have enough to learn that your time would be better spent learning than doublechecking other students' activities. There was no good reason for you to go through the other student's MARs in the first place; that would be up to the instructor and the nurse responsible for the patient. Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong tends to make people not like you. Go figure.

Nurses are seeing the problem just fine. Med errors and patient safety are our jobs. Not yours, unless it's the patient you are caring for. It seems to be you who is having difficulty seeing the problem. The other students' MARs -- NOT YOUR BUSINESS.

As far as posting on FaceBook -- not only was the post itself unprofessional, but the fact that you posted it at all was extremely unprofessional.

And as far as that last line -- you may want to re-think that one. The only person I see who is advocating for their own selfishness is you. I don't know what you're getting out of this whole fiasco, but it's not promoting patient safety at all. It's promoting YOUR agenda.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I am really embarrassed for this board. a student comes here having donen what they were supposed to do ie patient advocate. and they get reamed six ways to sunday....he or she can work with me any day.

Being a patient advocate is one thing; policing your fellow students is another and blasting everyone on FaceBook is something entirely else again. The OP didn't do what she was supposed to do; patient advocacy starts with the patients that YOU are responsible for. I suggest you save your embarrassment for yourself -- you clearly haven't understood what we've been trying to tell the OP.

For OP

If you find, in the future, that you think a med might have been not given, go very quietly to the student or nurse involved and say "Ooh, I need to make sure I gave Mr. Smith (your own patient) his Noon meds! You're probably already done with yours, huh?"

I know it would be easier in the short run to just ask, "Hey, did you give Mr. Jones his Insulin for 11 o'clock?", but that student or colleague might wonder why you were doubting her.

The method described first here is just kind of a gentle nudge, placing the onus on your care of patients, you're just kind of thinking out loud, hoping the other person will do some quick thinking and make sure she did give her meds or needs to ASAP.

There are many situations in life when we feel the need to say something to someone who might not appreciate it, but it's so often better to take a roundabout route and not be direct, because direct can seem insulting.

First of all I would say this sounds like high school problem which is sad.

Second I would say why did you not just go to the student and ask her first why she didn't give insulin.

Third I would say giving sliding scale insulin seems like a minor thing to make a big deal out of when you are a student.

Fourth I would say, as sad as it may seem, it is probably best to worry about yourself while you are obtaining your licences and securing a job.

Fifth I would say even if you have the best intentions, being a rule nazi is going to gain you SO MANY enemies in your carrier. I think it would be prudent to weigh "policy violation" against the potential for adverse outcome before reporting people.

There are many times I don't cover patients for insulin when their glucose is 200-250 at midnight and when I check at 0600 they are less than 100.

Good luck.

OP ... It totally sounds like you are not that great with your people skills. The fact that someone responds to your heads up by saying "I'll think about it" speaks toward your disfavor. It says that you have had "people" issues for quite some time. That is also reflected in the fact that you now feel uncomfortable speaking directly to other students and your instructors see you as the cause of problems.

Sounds like some soul searching is in order. You'll be dealing with people every day. Better come to terms with that.

+ Add a Comment