Sick of making mistakes and questioning why I ever became a nurse to begin with!

pinkmarshmallow · Dec 15, 2008

Hey,

I can totally relate to what you are going through - I've just started working as a registered nurse and have had my job 4 weeks now, and some days I feel sooo stupid. Like today, I was doing the 2 'clock drug round, and as one of my patients was off the ward, I dispense his meds and locked them away in his drug locker. However, loads of things ended up happening, and I forgot to give them. One of the drugs was phenytoin, obviously really important too. I've made loads more silly mistakes, but I'm learning from each one, and do everything I can to make sure they dont happen again. Im really glad I'm not the only one who feels the same way. I hope things get better for you :icon_hug:xxx

R*Star*RN, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2008

I think every new nurse feels incompetent at times. Many nurses have made the same mistakes that you have. If you are not experienced with wound vacs than perhaps you didn't know that it was off. Anyone could have left the bed unlocked, and it's the last thing from your mind to check if the bed is locked for every patient. . .

I have been told, as a new nurse myself, that it takes at least a year to feel confident and competent. You don't know everything, ask tons of questions if you have the slightest doubt about anything (this is what i do, and yes I feel stupid for asking some of these questions, but my patients are safe)

Please don't decide that nursing isn't for you until you have that year to get settled into the profession.

Good luck and feel better!

afranklin · Dec 15, 2008

First of all,

If you can make it through nursing school, and, pass NCLEX, you are Not,

I repeat, you are not incompetent!!

What you are is over worked, and over stressed.

Take some time, relax, and try to prioritize your shift Before you get

to work.

Keep a List of every 'thing' that each pt. has ordered and "check off"

each thing, for each patient; this sounds time consuming, but it will

definitely make you feel safe, secure and confident that you have

not overlooked anything.

Nurses are so needed right now; don't give up, you will get better

at this because you care.

God bless you.

afranklin · Dec 15, 2008

Never, ever feel stupid for asking questions!

The dumbest question is the one that Never got asked:)!

BeachyRNn08 · Dec 16, 2008

Thanks everyone for the positive advice! Back to work tomorrow, and dreading it even more than before Feel like everyone's heard about my screw up... Just hoping I can make it another 6 months so I can do something else..

futurenicunurse2008 · Dec 17, 2008

dont feel bad the other day i had a copd pt who was stating in the 80's so the dr put her back on the bipap (which she hates) then my preceptor came in the room and realized her 02 wasnt hooked in the wall anymore.

and as far as the bed being locked i think ive accidently forgot to lower a pt bed back down at least once a day.

ive forgot to sign off on charts at eos

we are all new and theres so much to remember it will come in time

also did this stuff happen towrds the end of your shift? my mistakes are usually around lunch (no fuel no brain power) and around the end of my shift (im worn out)

BeachyRNn08 · Dec 17, 2008

dont feel bad the other day i had a copd pt who was stating in the 80's so the dr put her back on the bipap (which she hates) then my preceptor came in the room and realized her 02 wasnt hooked in the wall anymore.
and as far as the bed being locked i think ive accidently forgot to lower a pt bed back down at least once a day.
ive forgot to sign off on charts at eos
we are all new and theres so much to remember it will come in time
also did this stuff happen towrds the end of your shift? my mistakes are usually around lunch (no fuel no brain power) and around the end of my shift (im worn out)

Yes! All of these mistakes normally happen toward the end of shift, when I'm mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted... Thanks for sharing your mistakes, always makes me feel better to know I'm not alone!

Quilter0225 · Dec 18, 2008

Hey everyone,
I work on a busy cardiac stepdown unit. After a 3 month orientation, I've been on my own now for 3 1/2 months. I love my job, I love interacting with my patients and making them smile when they're going through a rough time. I try to keep a positive attitude, however, after several stupid stupid stupid mistakes, I'm wondering if I'm even cut out for this. I'm so scared that one day I'm going to make a mistake that is going to be fatal. Here's my list of mistakes thus far: Just got orders from a doc with notoriously horrible handwriting, thought the order said DC foley, which I did... only come to find out later on, the order said DC zosyn... Next mistake, had a patient with a wound vac for the first time, came in that morning and assessed, assessed the site where the wound vac was applied, and even thought I assessed the machine, WRONG, apparently the wound vac had died on night shift, was off my whole shift and it wasn't caught until the next nightshift... Ok, next mistake, had a CABG pt who was a walky talky, didn't need any assistance. Well apparently I forgot to lock his bed, and he fell on his butt while trying to get outta bed when I was not in the room.... All of these mistakes happened around the same time frame, and for a while I was starting to feel more confident since I was making less mistakes, wrong assumption. Had the day from hell yesterday, and don't even know if I want to be a nurse anymore. Had a pt who was in a fib with rvr, was running in the 110s, was on cardizem iv @ 10cc/hr, doc came in and ordered lopressor 25 po. Pt left the floor all day for tests, and the lopressor had not been administered, well the pt had converted to SB while gone, which I knew! but for some dumb reason, I gave the lopressor anyway!! His heart rate was in the 50s for goodness sake! So I got wrote up for that, of course. I leave the hospital bawling, because I have made mistakes, but never a med error like that, get home only to find that I had another pt's q 2 hr eye drops in my pocket. I call the floor to tell the pm nurse, only to find that I had forgotten to chart output on another pt who was strict I&O and the doc was up on the unit raising cane about it!!
Sorry so long, but after all this, I feel incompetent and am questioning why I ever went into nursing. I dread going to work, and bearly get any sleep before a shift (which could have something to do with all these mistakes) I just wonder now many more mistakes I can make before I just get fired...... Can anyone relate, or offer any advice, I'm desperate here!
Thanks!

How many mistakes can you make before you get fired? That depends on where you are. I think my case is worse than usual. I was in orientation 12 weeks. At the beginning of orientation I had to be reminded to give insulin a couple times (it is on a separate diabetic MAR after the other MARs). In the middle of orientation I was in a big hurry and hung an IV antibiotic without flushing it first (pt. was saline locked) and forgot to wipe it with alcohol. At the end of orientation I had 2 pts. with crazy BPs-one high and one low. I checked the high one, only to find out it was a false high. I quickly gave her meds and did a quick assessment since I was already in there. Next I went to the pt. with the low BP. I called the doctor and got a 500 ml NS bolus. I got busy taking care of my other pts. and forgot to check the BP right after the bolus finished. When I checked it 45 min. later it was still low. He ended up needing another liter and a half wide open to get the pressure up. Two days later I was called in to the mgr.'s office and told that I had made too many safety mistakes and had 36 hours to resign or be fired. (During this time my regular preceptor had been on vacation so I was precepted by someone else who told me to pretend she wasn't there and ask the charge nurse if I needed anything). I had no written disciplinary action of any kind, and no warning at all that termination was even a possibility. I made mistakes, I agree, but my preceptor should have helped me more. I don't think I should have been fired. I resigned so that I wouldn't have a termination on my record. Now I am looking for a new job, but nobody wants new grads. Any thoughts on this, anyone? :banghead:

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 19, 2008

Take your mistakes and learn from them.

I wish i could tell you it is smooth sailing from here - but unfortunately, we all hit the occasional bump in the road.

Mahage, LPN · Dec 20, 2008

Thanks everyone for the positive advice! Back to work tomorrow, and dreading it even more than before Feel like everyone's heard about my screw up... Just hoping I can make it another 6 months so I can do something else..

Well if truth be known, there is not a one of your coworkers who never makes mistakes. I have done almost the exact same thing with VACPAC. I came in and took report and it was set on 35. I had the guy before and it was supposed to be 125. Well I assumed that it was 125. I didn't note that it was set on 35, but at the end of shift when I was doing my I's and o's I noted it had no output, looked further, well duh, no wonder it was set on 35! I reset it, and reported what happened to day shift. Fortunately no harm was done and he had good output that shift. Night before last, I failed to note the exact amount that was left in a PCA cassette when I came in, at the end of my shift, the pt only used 1.5 mg and I just knew something was wrong. I reported it to my Charge nurse because I thought someone had reset my pump. Maybe this pt had managed to cop a key or something. :no: As it turned out, the reading was accurate, the patient had not used the pump very much. The day shift just looked back at when the cartridge was changed and how much had been used and determined it was correct! I was embarrassed to say the least. We dont' generally get written up for mistakes unless there is some severe consequence or reaction or someone raises enough hell. I sure do learn from my mistakes though because I love nursing, and want to be one good nurse, I also have a lot of pride in what I do and don't like to be less than good at what I do. Developing proficiency in this profession is hard for all of us but we will make it. :up:

mahage

SoundofMusic · Jan 24, 2009

I am in the same boat -- about six months off orientation now and it seems I make a doozy about once a week!!! And I can't even tell you why. Of course, it's often always due to being rushed, over stressed and not EVER having enough help, or people who are WILLING to help. (Usually plenty of people around -- just none that seem eager to help). And I am STILL battling a never ending upward learning curve.

There are just so many zillions of details every single shift that a nurse has to keep track of. I've got my "brain sheets" but there's always something that slips past it -- I start out every shift telling myself I'm going to stay on TOP of things, but something always happens -a code, a fall, a crisis of some sort.

I also have questioned my competency many times and think I've made a mistake to go into nursing. I dont' know what to do. In many areas, of course, I've progressed, but I'm still making errors. There are times I feel my soul is just in distress and I so want to find a way OUT.

What is most frustrating are the few little ugly trolls on the unit who will glare at you for the errors -- as if they themselves have never made one themselves, even though you've CAUGHT them making those errors yourself! I'm not saying every nurse is like that -- many are super supportive -- but these are the ones who can really work on you mentally to make you NOT enjoy the job when the going gets rough. I really despise these types of nurses, down to their core.