What did I do wrong?

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.

When I worked as a HHA if the meds were already divided up in one of those week organizers, we were allowed to transfer the daily meds from the specific day into the med cup.

The advice I can give you is to be honest with what happened, only give the facts, do not include any opinions into it and leave it at that. Whatever's going to happen will happen.

I too worked with a couple that was confused so the family locked their meds up and only the aides knew where the keys were for their own safety. However, I would never take extra meds that weren't pre-divided into the days and add them to the patients dose. Home care is different in the sense that supervisors can't deal with situations right then and there because they are at the office or at home themselves. That being said, while the supervisor should've been aware of your scope of practice, their main concern at that point is what can I do to resolve this situation or at least stabilize it right here and now? Therefore they're not thinking this CNA can't give meds, they're thinking the CNA told me the patient has Ativan, Ativan can be calming, try the Ativan. According to your story apparently it was actually haldol? So the supervisor made a huge mistake in the sense that yes, in the end she wasn't able to verify the right med since she wasn't there and the wrong med was given. However, you, the CNA gave the med, not the actual nurse would was licensed to do so, so you will be the one facing the consequences. I think you learned a lesson and it will only make you a better nurse in the end when you finally become one.

Good luck!

Same here, we are allowed to push it out the bubble. They have his wife over his care while we're present and she has to give the meds we're allowed to just open the safe and she gets what she needs. This is what the son and my supervisors came up with.

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1.Trust your gut instinct. If something sounds wrong or dodgy, dont be afraid to ask for it written down, protect your butt.

2. While as a CNA you cant have anything to do with the meds, it would be good to start learning about some of the medications you see in your area. It will stand you in good stead for when you start nursing. For example haldol while also given for agitation, used in small doses can be very effective in treating nausea. We use it alot in palliative care.

3. We all make mistakes. Any nurse who says otherwise is IMO telling fibs. I had a fairly monumental mistake just before Christmas. Made the mistake of working with a temperature and totally managed to give the wrong meds to the wrong patient. The patient was ok, however I've done alot of beating myself up over it. I got asked to explain what happened and have had to redo my med competency however certainly learned not work febrile.

4. Look at what has happened and go through what you could have done differently and what you would do if ever happened again. Employers accept that mistakes happen and being able to show what you have learned from it can go along way IMO

Take care and hoping for a positive outcome for you

Thanks and like I said I feel terrible. It just said to give for agitation. We're told we're not allowed to administer and let the wife take what she needs. This happened Saturday night.

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You described that dreadful feeling to a Tee. Oh gosh I hate it. My Supervisor didn't know about the incident like the other CNA stated, I had to call and explain to her that I opened the box and his wife gave the med. She said she had no clue and thanks and she'll look into it and get back with me. However, that was hours ago.

Come to find out other Cnas were giving him the med but didn't chart and I documented and that's how it was caught. I still feel bad.

I'm kind of with Bucky. I do feel for OP because I know how crappy it is to make a med error- that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize that you may have harmed another person because of...whatever reason. In this case, you aren't a nurse and you shouldn't have been administering meds, or even being the one to advise the wife on which med.

It does sound like a bad scenario from soup to nuts.

You aren't dumb, OP, but you made some bad choices throughout. The good thing is you will never do that again. We have all made mistakes, and unfortunately will continue to, but you rarely make the same mistake twice. The "great" thing about taking care of people is there are SO MANY mistakes to make.

I am really annoyed at the triage nurse in this whole saga. She really should have assessed her patient his/herself.

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:yes: you learned the most important lesson; only TRUST what you KNOW and see...and if you don't know, look it up, investigate before you proceed.

(((HUGS)))

Thanks a lot and for your positivity. I so appreciate it. It just make me want to give up like I'm not good enough to be a nurse now.

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

Apparently, the hospice nurse was to have it taken out and forgot. But he wasn't suppose to be on it at all.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, Neurology, Rehab.

Well "MZ success" don't fret as another post said every nurse has made mistakes, they have no reason to look down on you, maybe they are from planet PERFECT! (LOL).

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.
OP, so sorry you were put in that situation. it sounds like you are working for a crappy agency and everyone who is supposed to support the only one (you!) who was directly in the home failed. The confusion around the actual order, ativan or haldol, the fact that ativan was still in the home, the fact that the nurse is asking you to work outside the scope of your license! Not okay. I sympathize in that I too have been in situations as a CNA in which a nurse (usually lazy) is pressuring you to do too much. Just remember that in many states CNA = NO MEDS. do not even apply nystatin powder or help the patient rinse their mouths with CHG rinse. i watched a nurse i work with hand a bottle of nystatin to an aide and say "put this on after you bathe her". so many things wrong: 1. aide cannot administer ordered medications 2. aide doesn't know where to apply it 3. the NURSE should be helping with that bath! i took the aide aside immediately and told her not to, and to report that nurse right away. you should always do the same. OP, i would start looking for a new job in an environment that is supportive and boundaries are clear. best of luck to you as you forgive yourself for this situation and carry on in your career!

Wow, we have Desenex powder on almost all our patients(does require an order) and PCAs can apply it. That and pro shield, calmoselptine, etc.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Who said this?

Why? Because I was so dumb?
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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

It must---I don't have a quote option on my iphone

perhaps it depends on the phone company?
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Unrelated to the original post, I have given 172 units of regular insulin. That was her regular am dose. Didn't even take her bg out of the 500s.

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My supervisor called and told me it was an innocent mistake and don't worry and the resident is fine and thanked me for being honest. My boss called later and asked was I alright and gave me extra shifts. So I'll chalk this up as a big lesson learned. It just make me realize how hard it is on nurses. One mistake can cost you and others love to throw up "I told you so!" thanks everyone

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Well "MZ success" don't fret as another post said every nurse has made mistakes, they have no reason to look down on you, maybe they are from planet PERFECT! (LOL).
Thank you! I learned to pay them no mind! don't waste my time replying.
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