wrong injection for the patient

Nurses Safety

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Hello,

yesterday something bad happened to me at work, i gave a wrong injection.

just today i was ordered to the hospital nursing managers office because i mixed up 2 patients who r in the same room. one was charted for PRN oxycontin i.m. and i accidently gave this injection to the other patient in the room(the one who complained of pain and needed PRN medication) because i looked up the wrong chart. They called me at 2am to find out what happened because the patient said she got an injection and it wasnt charted in her cardex. this morning i had to meet the hospital nursing manager and the family is very very upset (fortunately nothing happened to the patient). she wasnt allergic, she was even on oxinorm p.o., given in the morning and at 22:00, so after my injection at 20:00 she didnt get her p.o. medication. i am working as an agency nurse and for the time of the investigations my shifs in that hospital were cancelled. i feel like a looser, ashamed, feel like ppl talk about me as my story spreads around like a fire in the hospital. they said it wont endanger my registration but they might still get it reported to the nursing board so ill be on their file.

i spent the whole day crying... i always thought of me as a good nurse and everybody was usually happy with my work...:(

my agency has to meet the head manager of the hospital on monday and investigations r going on... im so scared, dont have peace of mind

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

if you weren't a good nurse, you wouldn't care. This too, shall pass. you are human and made a mistake, and it could happen to anyone.

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Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

I am sorry this happened to you. I would be lying if I said I have never made a med error. Lesson learned, always take the Mar to the patient, follow the five rights. I feel your pain. Do not beat yourself up over this, thankfully there was no harm to the patient.

Come up with a plan as to how to avoid a mistake in the future, present it to your employer. You could also take a ceu on preventing medical errors before you are asked to do it. That would show you are serious in avoiding any future mistakes.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

I agree with the above poster, we all at sometime have made a med error, it's what we do afterwards that's defines us as a nurse.

The fact you are distressed means that you will learn from it, we are only human let this incident improve your practice.

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thanks everybody for your responses. I told the nurse manager how distressed I was and I was in tears. I felt so embarrassed...

Maybe you are right.. errors happen. But the patient and her husband are not understanding at all. They are very very angry and even doubted the fact I am a reg nurse.. merely because of this incident. Its so humiliating. I tried to go out tonight but felt so down and came home early...

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Specializes in Oncology, Triage, Tele, Med-Surg.

I'm so sorry. Sending a (((hug))) your way.

:redbeathe:nurse::redbeathe

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Specializes in Radiologic Technologist, now in Nursing.

So you made a mistake. It is regretable but it happens.

The enivornment to report a medication error is supposed to be one without retriburion. It should be a safe place for us to go if and when we make a medication error. The PROCESS should be investigated to see if something could have been done to prevent this. Hold your head up high, you made a mistake. Let he/she without any sin cast the first stone!:redbeathe

I suspect you'll NEVER make this mistake again and the patient was not harmed. I would look for proactive ways to help other nurses from making this same mistake.

Don't worry, if this was your first time and if you've admitted to the error and you're trying to discover how to prevent it in the future, it's all good! Hang in there sister. We are here to support you! :redbeathe

John in New Mexico

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thanks for all your kind words :redbeathe

the nursing manager mentioned that they might have to forward this case to the nursing board (she said though that i wouldnt loose my registration) just to let them know an investigation took place.

i am in horror that my career will be destroyed for the future... i was planning to apply for nursing registration in another country... if now the nursingboard has a file of me it sounds like my plan is going to die!!???!? i am desperate!!

Does it really have to go this far??

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is there anybody reading this right now? I am in tears and dont know what to think or do

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:crying2::bluecry1::weathercloudandrain
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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I am so sorry this has happened to you. It is really no big deal they are angry that they got a wrong injection but she didnt stop you from giving it to her and I presume it helped her pain.

It takes a long time to investigate med errors in Ireland. You need to make sure you write down all the events leading up to the error.

As other posters said especially with pain meds you need to make sure you check the kardex with the pt and name band. Had you not medicated this pt before?

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it was definetly my error and I cant say anything about this to defend myself. I made a wrong step. A rather minor thing to the patient compared to what it has caused me now. I wouldn't hurt myself but I feel numb, I'm crying all the time and wish I wouldn't have to continue with this life any longer. My life dream was just destroyed. Getting registration in the country where I always wanted to live in, working there, ... I don't think I can ever get registration with another nursing board in the future if they really forward it to the irish nursing board and this incident will be on my chart especially as i cannot say much to defend myself. I just ruined my life and watch the pieces...

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