Will I get kicked out of nursing school?

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I helped a nurse prepare an immunization for a child and administered the vaccine. It wasn't till after I administered the vaccine did I realize my nurse pulled up the wrong vaccine and the infant got a double dose of a vaccine that was given previously. I had to fill out an incidence report with my instructor today and I can't help but feel like this is my fault because I shouldn't have trusted that nurse and I should have reconfirmed what I was giving. I'm scared that this mistake might cost me my seat in the nursing program. Has this ever happened to anyone as a student?

I think that filling out the incident report is the right thing to do.

I also think that there is likely no lasting negative impact on the child.

Hope it works out.

Please let us know how things turn out. Thoughts are with you.

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ICU.

Often times an incident report and possibly an essay about patient safety, medication errors, etc would be required. The only student that's been removed from our nursing program had multiple HIPAA violations and was dishonest about an error having to do with medications. Dishonesty involved with errors shows a lack of character which can't always be fixed whereas a knowledge deficit on your part can. Best of luck and remember your 6 rights at all times.

Specializes in Nephrology Home Therapies, Wound Care, Foot Care..

I agree with another poster about the Medication rights. But this also speaks to a larger problem with nursing students on the floor. I'm a senior, graduate in 10 shifts. Soooooo many times I have had a resource nurse pull meds without me there, shove them in my hands and tell me to give them to so and so. HATE THIS! Not only do I need the experience from beginning to end of the process, but I'm NOT administering a med I don't personally know is the right one for the right pt., etc. I pull a WOW into the pt room, scan their band, and go thru every med before giving. If it's not in its original package to be scanned, or God forbid, it's an injectable (that's never happened), I won't give it. And I know my instructors will back me up. I don't have a license to protect yet, but I have my ability to GET licensed to protect. More importantly I have an ethical obligation to my patient. I urge students to stand firm and sweetly, but confidently tell resource nurses that it is against your school's policy for you to admin meds that you do not personally know are correct, and that your instructor will KILL you if you do that. They may huff or sigh, but works every time.

There are a few factors to consider. 1) It was your responsibility to do a med check (5 rights) at the bedside. 2) As a student, you were working under another RN's license and it was also his/her responsibility to make sure you practiced safely.. 3) Luckily, the patient is not likely to suffer harm from this particular mistake.

Taking these three things together, I highly doubt you will be dismissed from the program entirely. Worst case scenario, you are asked to repeat the class/clinical but that's extreme. I think the most likely scenario is that you will suffer a grade penalty for the clinical and asked to do some kind of medication safety assignment.

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
2) As a student, you were working under another RN's license and it was also his/her responsibility to make sure you practiced safely...

No, just no. This myth needs to stop. No one works under a license except for the person named on the license. Students learn under an exception; they do not work under any other person's license. A licensed person cannot be held responsible for another person's action except in a few instances, such as inappropriate delegation.

Edited to add:

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Source: https://ncsbn.org/Ch_12001.pdf (look for myth 3)

During my clinical days at the hospital, some nurses think is crazy of my school to only let their nursing students pass med just only with their clinical professor. Now I understand the reason why.

I helped a nurse prepare an immunization for a child and administered the vaccine. It wasn't till after I administered the vaccine did I realize my nurse pulled up the wrong vaccine and the infant got a double dose of a vaccine that was given previously. I had to fill out an incidence report with my instructor today and I can't help but feel like this is my fault because I shouldn't have trusted that nurse and I should have reconfirmed what I was giving. I'm scared that this mistake might cost me my seat in the nursing program. Has this ever happened to anyone as a student?

What ended up happening? Did you fail the class?

Specializes in Education, Administration, Magnet.

I'm not going to make you feel bad about the error, because you already took accountability for the mistake. Always check your meds before administering-no matter how rushed. I am very confident that you are not going to be kicked out of school unless you have shown repetitive reckless behavior. Many years ago, I have made a med error in nursing school (gave a PM med in am and patient slept all day). I felt horrible for days and my instructor was not nice about it. I had to write some essays about med safety and that was it. But that mistake stayed with me throughout my career and I because much more careful as a result.

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