1st med error!

[LVN_LPN_2007]

I made my 1st med error today. I've been working at a rehab facility for 2 months now (new nurse). I gave a resident 30ml Kayexalate by mistake instead of Kaopectate. I went home and something made me remember it so I called work. The on call ordered a BMP. The man was ok and actually said he's never felt better upon assessment. I just feel awful about it. I know I'll get reprimanded at work and I know I deserve it. I'm always really careful but I screwed this up. Sorry just needed to vent about it.

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

Thanks for all the support. I learned a huge lesson. My DON and other staff was very supportive. The resident is fine. I felt pretty incompetent at the time but happy to know that I owned up to my mistake and thought about my resident's safety and admitted to my mistake. Thanks for all the stories and advice.

Glad to hear everyone was supportive, that's important. Hang in there!

[sellen1972]

I'll never forget it. And I'll never make the same mistake again. I double-dosed a patient with phenobarb. The nurse who was orienting me made me call the MD. All he said was, "She'll get a good night's sleep." But I went home and wrote my letter of resignation, convinced I would be terminated the next day. The DON refused my letter, asked me how it could have been prevented and told me I had the makings of a good nurse.

And the spiteful side of me says this: I would rather write myself up for a med error than have someone beat me to the punch.

Med errors happen, hopefully not any time soon again to you.

sellen1972:imdbb:

[SillyStudent, ASN, RN]

I have been a new grad since dec 18, and I can tell you about a med error I made in 1992 as a Navy Hospital Corpsman!

I flushed a heplock with heparin, 5000u. This is back in the day when they were in almost the same bottle...but still! I told the RN and the Charge, who kept an eye on the patient, they drew coags, notified the doc, and the patient was fine...but I TRIPLE check everything. I still have little moments of 'let me go back to the med room and check that again'. And erm...that happened like 16 years ago. :) I think that first mistake, and how you dealt with it...actually makes you a better nurse.

The people that scare me are the ones that say they have never made an error and are rather disdainful of you because you have. You wonder if they just never caught it or if they are being dishonest about it. That being said....If you have REALLY never made a med error...good for you and keep it up! :)

:cheers: