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Discussion

Will med error keep me from NT position?

I had an interview for a nurse tech position a week ago. I was told that 4 positions were opened and over 70 nursing students applied. During the interview, I revealed that the biggest mistake I regret was giving the wrong med to the wrong patient (I gave an exelon instead of a nitro patch. I didn't go into detail about what mistake I made. I could have been ugly, I know. I thank god, still, that she was fine). I attributed the mistake to my failure to check the five rights. I got a call back from the interviewer, literally 2 or 3 hours later, telling me "they'll be moving on to other applicants." I asked for feedbacks and was told it was because of the med error.

I just want to know, will this med error haunt me forever? If I can't even get a tech job because of it, will I be able to get an rn job once done with school? I still want a nurse tech. job. What should I do? Did you experience something similar?

P.S. I currently worked as a cnaII at a hospital. I was a medication aide at a memory care unit for 10 months until I transferred to work at the hospital.

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    Stop giving out so much negative information during your job interview.

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    • Author

    I was asked to mention one mistake I made that I regret. I don't get why they even asked that question if they eliminate honest answers.

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    I would come up with another mistake to use in an interview, one that doesn't include a med error or involve a patient's well-being. That's an odd question to be asked though. Hopefully it won't come up again.

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    I was asked to mention one mistake I made that I regret. I don't get why they even asked that question if they eliminate honest answers.
    IMO, interviewers don't really want honest answers. When they ask where you see yourself in 3 years you do not say CRNA school you tell them something about staying in the unit and continuing up the clinical ladder and all that warm and fuzzy stuff. Personally, I would pick a more generic response that does not portray you as incompetent.
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    The med errror will only haunt you forever if you tell people about it forever. I can't tell you if it had anything to do with you rejection - it couldn've been for any number of reasons, but in the future I would come up with a much smaller mistake that you could spin in a positive way. No med errors.

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    I agree with the previous posters. Choose another example that you can spin into something positive. "But now I am extra careful blah blah blah."

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    Every nurse has made a med error. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. It doesn't make you a bad nurse. But for the love of Pete, DON'T mention it in interviews! That's a deal breaker!

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    • Expert

    Agree with the others: while your honesty is admirable, I'd pick a different mistake to discuss in interviews.

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    that degree of "honesty" really is closer to self punishment.......you need to stop that right away.

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    • Author

    I read through all the comments.

    I had another nurse technician interview a week ago. I just got a call today and found out I was accepted for a prn nurse tech position at a different hospital :) I reflected through what went wrong during my last interview and took some advices from here and got the job!!

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