So Many Things Going Wrong!! PLEASE HELP ME GET A PEACE OF MIND!

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Hey guys,

I really feel like nursing should not be for me since I am a failure and a forgetful person. SO I DID A REALLY BIG NO-NO! I think I left my patient records still up. What happened was, I went to a computer to fill out paperwork on my patient for my nursing class. I swore I clicked on LOG OUT. This hallway computer keyboard unfolds, will turn on and off when it is unfolded from the wall. Anyways, when I came back from lunch, the computer was folded so the computer was turned off. However, when I logged back on, I see that a ConnectCare tab (our patient record database), is minimized. It turned out to be my patient's and was logged in under my name!! I quickly logged out of it and did not say a word. During the rest of the clinical, my nurse or nursing instructor did not inform me of anything pertaining to the patient record. However, I am terrified of what is going to happen. I feel like I always screw up somehow in clinical, and this one is very serious. I need some opinions.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Yes. Your best policy is to 'fess up as soon as you realize you made any sort of error. The worst thing you can do is start a career of trying to cover your tracks. It doesn't work; it just makes you dishonest and untrustworthy.

When you go back to clinical, tell your instructor what happened and tell her that it has been nagging at you. "I was sure I had logged out. What did I miss?"

People can forgive a lot of errors if you come clean. You will learn from your mistakes. Trying to cover things will just keep you looking over your shoulder forever.

Next thing: "I am a failure and a forgetful person." How about: "I am a learner and I'm working to organize myself better."? You'll have a much better chance of success if you're not so quick to write yourself off.

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I asked a family member about this situation. They said that many nurses forget to log out and they have more pressing matters to report than something that every nurse does, Even today, I saw many nurses not logging out. However, today the nurses were very busy giving meds and a death occurred today, so everyone was a little frantic. I just feel like I'm a failure no matter what. I always try to better myself but it never seems to do me any good. I have been told mixed things whether or not to inform my instructor.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

You're still a student. Forget what you see "many nurses" doing. Not all nurses are good role models and not all work places are good places to work.

While you're in school, make a point of learning everything the "correct" way. You will adapt your practice to the real world once you get out in it. You have to graduate first. If your instructor catches an error that you didn't report, your school can scupper your career before you get started.

If you develop a reputation for conducting yourself with integrity, it won't guarantee a smooth ride through life. But it will give you a certain amount of Teflon for a much smoother ride. Getting caught at something you haven't owned up to is a lot harder to fix after the fact.

But you do you.

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15 hours ago, Kiroppi said:

I asked a family member about this situation. They said that many nurses forget to log out and they have more pressing matters to report than something that every nurse does, Even today, I saw many nurses not logging out. However, today the nurses were very busy giving meds and a death occurred today, so everyone was a little frantic. I just feel like I'm a failure no matter what. I always try to better myself but it never seems to do me any good. I have been told mixed things whether or not to inform my instructor.

EVERYBODY in healthcare forgets to log out of the chart at some point.

Anyway, you said you had to log back onto the computer, is it your own individual login, or does it just automatically use the unit's login? Even if that chart was still open, if it was behind your own user name and password to get back to the desktop, it was still locked. If you decide to report yourself, make it clear that you did remember to log off the computer, and I'm not sure what software you use, but figure out if you just complete forgot to log out of the chart or if you accidentally hit the minimize button instead of the logoff button. And how that hospital is set up matters. Some are set up specifically for you to be able to just sign off of a computer and sign into another one and have all your work still up.

It's good to be aware and make sure you log off, but forgetting to one time is just being any other healthcare worker. Your instructor has done it too. I'd personally just let it go and check to make sure you didn't minimize instead of log off anymore.

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Well we do not have to log into the computer itself. We just unfold the computer and the computer is already turned on. The only thing we have to log into is the EHR (CONNECTCARE). But it is not locked after we log in! I am starting to think I just left it up and logged in. I just can't stop worrying. I've been told to just let it go and not do it next time. Maybe nursing isn't cut out for me.

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Specializes in Operating Room, CNOR.

OP, I am concerned about your negative self-talk. Would you speak to a friend the way you are speaking to yourself? If you saw a colleague forget to log off, would you say "wow, you are a FAILURE and should just quit right now." We don't talk to other people as unkindly as we talk to ourselves. Why is that?

We are our own harshest judges. In this job you will likely make mistakes and you MUST learn to be more compassionate with yourself. TriciaJ's re-framing of your original statement is something you should read again. Watch and listen to your inner self-talk every day, and find ways to re-frame things in a loving way toward yourself Words have POWER and can shape your thought patterns, which WILL affect your performance and your life. How you talk to yourself is extremely important in your ability to thrive in this job, and in any part of life. It is foundational. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help, and a book called "Feeling Good" helps re-train those negative thought loops that can keep you stuck.

You need to nip this in the bud ASAP or you will tear yourself apart. You deserve to be kind and compassionate and loving with yourself ESPECIALLY when you are learning and making mistakes, as we all do, because we are human. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Ortho, CMSRN.

I have a needle phobia and stayed away from nursing for year before I decided to try (my mom encouraged me... If you like people, you can get over the rest". She's right. I still have my needle phobia and hate giving IM's, but my needle phobia drove me to learn sono IV starts, where I'm looking at a screen instead of at the needle, so I'm always doing hard sticks for my co-workers, who will do IM's for me if I ask. I don't mind the short needles, just the long ones that go straight in ? Doesn't help that I've hit arteries twice doing flu shots in the arm ?

Long story short, I hate it when anyone says "Maybe I'm not right for nursing" or some such similar nonsense. If you love people, you will find a way to cope with whatever your hangup is. It doesn't even sound like you HAVE a hangup, you just made a mistake.

A wise preceptor gave me this advice: "You will make mistakes, create a process that will ensure that you never repeat that mistake". I have many processes, such as putting meds to waste in my right pants pocket and patting it down religiously before leaving work, and when I have to give a partial dose, stop scanning and cut the pill, or draw up the partial dose. These were all from either mistakes, or near mistakes. If you want to be a nurse, and you love people, you are cut out to be a nurse. Learn from your mistakes and grow, because I guarantee, this won't be your last.

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Did you kill anyone?, no so don't worry. If your instructor needs to talk to you about your performance he or she will. Otherwise keep keeping on.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ICU, Rehab.

While I think a lot, if not all your self criticism is unnecessary and over the top,like seriously bordering on you needing professional help...

When we log into our systems, it will automatically open whatever chart we last had open, if we didn't close the chart prior to logging out. Doesn't matter if it's the same pc or a different pc. If we don't close the chart prior to logging out, and we log out, next time we log in that same chat is open.

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Don't self report something like this. It's not a "near miss".

We do our best to secure our computers, but if some sort of "medical emergency" is called, most of the time we don't. We just have to accept the fact that we could lose our jobs if we are caught. Plain and simple.

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You obviously know you shouldn't walk away from a computer that you are logged into, but the software should have an automatic log out after a period of time (i.e. 5 min, 10 min, 20 min, whatever) for situations just like this. Just something else to consider.

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