1st Med Error

[Eilana]

I'm sure there is a thread around here somewhere, but I feel like I should share this. I'm still a student nurse and the other day, I missed giving 2 scheduled doses of insulin; I only gave the sliding scale. Nobody caught the mistake until the afternoon shift (I was in the morning shift). The patient was fine; nothing happened to her. But, when I was told of the incident by my instructor, I was devastated ... I mean I cried because I felt like I somehow, failed the patient....

[Dolce, RN]

I made my first med error as a new grad and it was with insulin too. I was so traumatized that I felt like everything was crashing in around me. The patient ended up being just fine but I learned a great deal from that mistake. Insulin is one of those medications that many hospitals require double checking by two nurses because it can have tragic results if the wrong dose is given. I am grateful that I made that mistake early on because I am now extremely cautious when I give insulin. I check the BG, check the dose, recheck, draw up the insulin, recheck the amount, etc, etc. I'm glad your patient was okay. :icon_hug:

[nurse303]

Unfortunately I don't know one nurse who can truthfully say they NEVER made a med error being missing a med, being late with a med, or giving the wrong dose. It happens to the best of us. Just always tripple check, and never try to hide the fact you made an error. The good thing is, from now on I'm sure you'll always be extra carefl when it comes to insulin. Thats the thing with nursing...we all learn from our mistakes hopefully not to make the mistake again.

[chuck1234]

The most important thing is you learn from the mistake you made, and you have to try very hard not to make the same mistake again.

Don't feel bad!

[jrbl77, RN]

i still remember what a nsg school instructor said to me after a med error 30 plus yrs ago. i think i gave dig with a pulse of 58. she told me that i was "the worst student nurse she ever had". meanwhile 30 yrs later i am still working as an rn.take the error in stride and learn from your mistakes. i made a big error as a floor nurse- gave a med and reversed post op pt's epidural drip. i thought the world had ended. my manager helped take care of the problem and i never had this problem again. when a new nurse would make an error i would tell them what i had done and that errors happen and we have to learn form them. fix the problem and go on.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

it is good that you are taking responsibility....BUT where was your instructor?...waaaaaaaaaay back in NS i missed a heparin injection (actually, it was only late) had those big old wagons and there was a place to put injectables in the syringes.....in a drawer, well the instructor forgot it was there as well as i, but i remembered first....or maybe she was waiting to "bag" me for the error....any way if it had been missed the error would have belonged to us both.....