wrong injection for the patient

You seem to be a little dramatic about this. Raises red flags to me that maybe there is more to the story. I am not sure about Ireland, but I know here in the US a med error does not destroy your career let alone your life. Let me put something into perspective for you, last April 25, I had to bury my 13 year old son from a very violent and tragic death. Yeah that's something to be upset about, not one silly little med error. Maybe you need to get some councelling to help you cope if it such a big deal that you say it ruined your life. Sorry I am not very sympathetic.

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

Unless things are completely different in Ireland, I'm concerned....In the US, Oxycontin is not an injection -it's a pill, and it is not a PRN medication.

the whole story wouldnt be as dramatic if

a) the patient and the husband both wouldnt work for the HSE in some high position (the irish healthboard)

b) the incident happened with a patient in a public hospital, private patients here in Ireland tend to be very particular and have high expectations.

The patient was on Oxycontin BD regular prescription and she got Oxynorm i.m. from me . Here in Ireland both medications are used as PRN medications (Oxycontin and Oxynorm r the same just different routes of administration), actually most patients returning to the ward after theatre are on it PRN for the first day or two

Today I went to see my agency and had to fill out thier incident form. Theyve been very understanding and nonjudgmental, however I am terrified of what the outcome might be.

@Hilinenursegrl:

first of all i am very sorry about what a horrible loss youve had. i wish you have (and had) good friends to turn to and who support(ed) you.

you are right in one thing: you do not loose the registration for a med error like this and if you plan to continue working in the same country you will still be able to find work (however it might be more difficult after an incident like this in case the nursing board has knowledge of it)

in germany (where im from) nothing like this would have happened. I do not plan to stay here in ireland, in fact i came here to collect work experience in an english speaking country so that after about a year i can apply in the country where i always wanted to go (out of many reasons including personal ones). I arranged my whole life and made lots of preparations for this.

All this would be ruined, i cant apply for registration in another nursing board with a fresh incident, they might simply turn my application down.

the manager of my agency is now with he nursing management of the hospital... he promised to call me once the meeting is over... im staring at the phone and it doesnt ring. this call will decide about many things. i havent eaten anyhing today and i have stomach cramps.

I feel your pain... I'll pray for your peace..as I have done the same thing while back and I really know how distressing it could be...just pray...it works

thanks a lot for ur kind words beautifulblair.

a short update: my error wasnt sent to the nursingboard, but i cannot do shifts for this agency now = i am unemployed. First reaction: Panic, tears. I spoke with my agency on the phone and they said when the investigations are over i might be able to work for them again and they recommended me joining another agency, a bigger one who also works with public hospitals (=i prefer "normal" patients anyway). Until i am registered with them ill work for 1 or 2 weeks agency as care assistant and will continue my work as a nurse once im signed up with the agency.

HOpefully things work out... after a big collapse today i decided not to give up. I learnt a great deal from my error... My agency said it would never have been such an issue anyway hadnt the patient and her husband been so aggressive

im exhausted...

Thanks for the update, Nursey. We are only human. (God made us that way., don't ya know.) You have grown from this ordeal, and helped others by posting here and reminding us to be careful.

Wishing you peace, and lots of "normal" patients at your next job.

Hang in there. :redbeathe

It's hard not to feel horrible after an error, but unfortunately, they are a part of life. Try to see this in a different light, as you said, she wasn't allergic, there were no bad outcomes from this error. You will always be more careful now and that's a good thing. Clearly you are taking a hard fall with admin because of who the patient and her husband are. I'm sorry. (hug)

today they told me that the husband is still very upset and that this would stretch out the investigations, the file cannot be closed if hes unhappy. I was told that because of this scenario i cannot get shifts with my agency anymore neither can they give me a good reference for as long as the investigation is going on therefore there r no chances for me working in any other agency or hospital at the moment. I am applying for work in nursing homes now hoping to find something very fast... I worked for 5 months in a nursing home and hated it so much... I will have to give up my beautiful appartment that I just freshly painted, just last week I got all my belongings from my home country sent over in 13 big boxes... I dont know what to do with all my stuff. Merry christmas another existence is destroyed. I am sick of nursing and wish i would have never picked it. I am so bitter. my family is here for a visit and their holiday is ruined. The punishment for my error is so severe

Just wanted to send you some ((((hugs))))). We all make mistakes, but what really matters is that we learn from them. I am sure that you will be extra cautious.

We all learn from our mistakes. This mistake is going to make you the good nurse that u want to be and u will always look to prevent Med error. Right now it looks like you're the first to give a wrong med but , this one too shall pass as ours did.

Just pray, since it was an innocent error.

HuGs. And HuGs on your way we are here to support u.

Hey,

I am sorry that you are having a rough time right now. I don't understand why sometimes nurses get hung out to dry. This scares other nurses who might then attempt to hide their errors which is the opposite of what we need to do. We will make mistakes...everyone does in every profession. But nurses seem to have bigger stakes than others.

Yes, you made a mistake, but you owned up to it and that speaks volumes on your character. I just wish that the powers at be would give nurses a break when they do make a mistake. It is not like you tried to hide something.

There are med errors that can seriously injure a patient and maybe that might warrant a hand slap and a harsh talking to based on the circumstances, but yours did not cause any injury.

I am sorry that your world has been turned upside down. Hang in there!!

I hope you are able to find some peace of mind.

:icon_hug:

~Psych