What did I do wrong?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

OK. So I'm a Cna while in nursing school. I work at a retirement center. And I was assigned to sit with this gentlement who had a stroke. One evening while sitting with him he gets really agitated and starts yelling, screaming at his wife. Kept getting up saying things were out the window that wasn't there, asking was he going to doe and couldn't sit still. I thought he was honestly going to hit his wife..I never seen him so upset. Now I'm not suppose to give meds we give them to his wife and she gives them to him. Every other day, the mangers are changing the "what to do" forums and who to call and his son also. He's on hospice. I called the triage nurse because it was late. I explained to her what was going on and I told her he had ativan and she told me to give it to him. ThT was two days ago and now. I get to work and I hear I'm in big trouble and the son is so upset yelling. Saying it was the wrong medicine, but it had his name on it and he's now messed up. Anyway I'm suppose to have a meeting tomorrow and don't know what to expect. I feel bad and everyone is looking at me crazy like its my fault and I don't know what to tell my boss. I feel embarrassed and it makes me not want to be a nurse anymore. Plus the wife is fabricating the story and she isn't all the way in her right mind. How can I handle this or should've handle this? I charted everything, like I was suppose to and other girls gave it to him and didn't chart anything.

Specializes in hospice.

The OP said nothing about being trained as a med aide.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Why? Because I was so dumb?

Can you please use the quote button on what post you referring to?

If you were referring to jadelpn's post; she is pretty spot on; the licensed nurse should have spoke to the wife directly, and the wife should have taken out the medicine while you did something else; there was no way you should've handed any medications over.

Things like this occur; I highly doubt that you will get fired, and if you do, take it as a lesson learned; we grow better when we learn from our mistakes, not when we shrink and hide; meaning if you want to be a nurse, this lesson makes you ever more cognizant on being responsible of knowing adequate scope, delegation, and trusting only your own judgement, if it don't seem right, you have a RIGT to not do it.

Best wishes.

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a doctor told me to give 45 units of humalog. It was suppose to be 4.5.

Holy crap! 45 Units!? My son has type 1 and is on that. The most I've ever given him was 11 units for 165 carbs of pancakes and ice cream. I can't believe that guy survived 45 units... Even with 3 snickers. You dodged a bullet there.

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You're absolutely right. Both are 98 years old she doesn't hear that good and they want us to call triage not the family. But the wife is changing her stories a lot. Saying she didn't it, now she did and her son is really furious.

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Specializes in hospice.

Sounds to me like the son needs to realize his parents are both compromised in their cognitive abilities and take more responsibility.

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@NorthmanRig I have actually given 90 units before as per sliding scale. Lady was a train wreck. But yes, this guy in particular 4.5 units vs. 45units major bullet dodged. The guy just laughed. I rechecked his sugar and it was 74. He said that's the lowest it had been all week. Dr of course screamed at me. It was his fault, but that didn't matter.

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@mzsucess I knew a graduate nurse in the ED that had to give some potassium to a patient. He was gone over an hour. Finally the charge nurse found him, he was slow pushing the potassium into her vein. The patient was telling him it burned like fire. So he pushed slow. He almost killed her. You never give potassium like that. That's what they use for lethal injection. Point I'm trying to make is ALL nurses make mistakes. If they haven't, they are either brand new or they are lying.

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Thanks Nibbles for understanding. I just don't ever want to harm anyone but only care. You're great nurse. Its comforting to know in nursing mistakes are made. I'm working a 12 hr shift and its all I've been thinking about. People just look down on you when you make mistake and automatically think you're not good at your job.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

There you go. You are not allowed to TOUCH medications---any nurse that tells you to do this is setting you up for failure. You KNOW you're not supposed to do it, yet did so anyway, so my sympathy level if very low, I'm sorry.

For what it's worth, it always seems to be the most far-removed family member (the son) who yells the loudest =(

Definate lesson learned here, sounds like there is serious need for education on this within your facility and do what you can to let them know that the oncall RN would not come assess, that she found it easier to give you an order that she's not allowed to give, nor are you allowed to accept.

I didn't give him the medicine..I took it out box and his wife gave it to him. I know.I'm no suppose to pass meds.
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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Then why is it even accessible? This whole scenario sounds like a nightmare.

I guess he wasn't suppose to be on/have ativan at all. The son says it make him crazy.
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My state BON recently made it legal for UAPs to give most type of meds with an exception to Im, IV etc.... and the facility/company has to adopt the practice for it to be ok

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Specializes in Oncology.

NorthmanRig- and adult with type 2 diabetes will tolerate far more insulin than a child with type 1.

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