What do you think the outcome will be?

vegas2009 · Apr 3, 2010

I'm not a nurse. But, in nursing school, they always said that nurses SHOULD report their errors (doesn't matter how small they are). For one thing, it's a way to cover their bu**s. . . . and no one can (exactly) predict how/when an incident gets ugly.

I'm curious, you said there's an error. So, did the doctor write another order? How was it fixed? Don't you make some kind of a documentation of the error somewhere? Just proof that you tried to "fix" the situation somehow? Something that proves you spoke to the doctor and he's aware of the situation.

I'm newer than a "newbie", can you possibly add more info. on the situation? Sorry, I'm not much help.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Apr 3, 2010

I'm unclear...was the mistake yours or the doc's? Did a lab not get done? Was a discontinued medication given? It's hard to comment without all the facts.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2010

Sounds as if the doc d/ced the Synthroid because of lab values.

I think if you were in trouble the DON would have told you already.

bethann27 · Apr 4, 2010

Ok - that wasn't at all clear . . . pt is hypo & doc d/c with TSH still low . . . I didn't catch it. I'm feeling pretty bad about it and wondering if I will ever be able to maintain the fast pace that LTC demands and still be able to focus on the details that are so important.

Dixiecup · Apr 4, 2010

If a pt has hypothyroidism their TSH will be high. SO if your pts las value was low, the doc probably dc'd it because he felt the pt didn't need the med any longer ( but lab still needs to be monitored!)

This is one of the most confusing things for a new nurse to wrap her brain around. Heck, it took me years before I could finally keep it straight.

With hypo and hyper thyroidism, the tsh values are oposite of what you would think they would be. Is this clear as mud?

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Apr 4, 2010

It's not just nurses who get confused about this. I had to spend 15 minutes with one doc going over this. Doctor wanted to lower the dose of synthroid because the TSH was too high. Doc, I said...thyroid STIMULATING hormone...it's trying to stimulate the thyroid to produce more. She looked at me like I was speaking gibberish. After another discussion and a few pictures she finally got it.

I wouldn't worry if I were you. You can't catch every mistake (if this were one) someone else makes.

bethann27 · Apr 4, 2010

Thanks so much for the responses. I thought I understood it, then let what I thought was a "smarter" nurse than me get me confused about it. So I guess that's where the saying comes from - "don't let what you don't know confuse what you do know". :)

So thankful that all is okay for the patient . . . that's my ultimate goal. . . . And thankful that I don't have docs around who don't understand it themselves - hope I have a nurse who knows what's going on next time I am in need of care.