Making mistakes at work

1 I just started my first nursing job about 4.5 months ago on a very busy med-surg unit. I know everyone makes mistakes, nobody is perfect, but I feel like I'm making too many mistakes!! I made a few small medication errors, none of which resulted in harm to the patient and they were reported to my directore (by me) and a medication error report was submitted. Yesterday was just incredibly busy at work, everything happened at once and I felt like I was being pulled in a million directions. When I was checking my orders, I saw that one patient was written to have her foley cath d/c'd. Both her and her neighbor in the same room had foley's. On my notebook I wrote the order down on the right patients report, but when I told the aide to remove the foley, I told her Bed A instead of Bed B. I didn't realize my error until I was giving report 4 hours later. I called the doctor for Bed A (who had the foley removed by mistake) and explained to him what happened. He said it's ok and if she doesn't void by the 8 hour mark, just reinsert the foley. The nurse I was handing off my patients to saw how frazzled I was (I was almost in tears when I discovered this after my crazy day) and she told me not to worry, just notify the MD and she would take care of the foley's. I made a note in the chart but didn't write up a report. I'm just worried that I'm making too many mistakes and one day it will all just catch up to me. I know I'm not the only one making mistakes, but I'm just freaking out!! Help!!
Can I ever relate!!! I think we all have made our share of mistakes, it happens. I once had an order to dc a cath on a pt. in room 201, what did I do? I went straight to room 102 and dc'd the foley cath on the wrong pt.!!!! Called the doc, he said to leave it out, no problem. Boy, was the guy in 102 happy!!!! I did discover my mistake about 5 seconds after I walked out of the room, I felt awful!! By the way, pt. in 201 did get his cath removed also!!! We are human, we make mistakes. Don't beat yourself up over it. Some days are just a mistake waiting to happen. None of us go to work with plans to make a mistake, we just have to accept the fact that they happen sometimes regardless of how careful we are, learn from them and keep on keeping on.!!!!!

You are doing fine. Sounds like you can use a few days off to recharge as well.You are taking accountability for what doesn't go according to plan and sound like a solidly developing professional. Please don't get discouraged. Slow down while you are on duty. Nursing is a 24/7 job and do your best to get to what you can get to. Look at your tasks for the day and decide whether you "must get to" that shift, "should get to" that shift, or "in a perfect world, I'll get to" that shift. It also sounds like the nurses on the oncomming shift are supportive and understanding that you are a new nurse as well. Just your professionalism alone makes you the kind of nurse I'd be proud to work with. Blee

I recently attended a class on patient safety. The reality is, mistakes can, do and will happen in healthcare. All you can do is be as mindful as possible and take precautions to minimize the risk. Fortunately, none of the errors were serious. Forgive yourself, breathe and move forward. It's this conscientousness and concern for patients that will make you an awesome nurse. (Although I'm sure you're already great.) Someone once told me the healthcare worker who thinks he makes no mistakes is the most dangerous.

It takes time to feel comfortable on a busy med-surg floor, and even then...I have had the hardest time with prioritizing and multi-tasking, and learning not to panic when I'm seriously drowning. Sometimes, you have to just take a deep breath and slow down.

Noone was is perfect. That being said, if you make a mistake, ask yourself how it happened and what you personally will do to avoid it from recurring. This is especially crucial for medicines because if the serious (and sometimes irrevocable) consequences of giving the wrong med or the right med in the wrong manner or to the wrong person. We obviously have an enormous responsibility. Don't ever lose sight of that. If you or I ever do, it's time to leave nursing.

I can totally relate! However I also believe that hospital staffing policies and acuity issues also contribute to the problem. Days when I am pulled in too many directions I make more mistakes. I am just trying to keep float and I know that I am not the only one to blame. Nurses need time to think when we are handling medications, treatments, chart checks, etc. It is for the pt safety. We are human we make mistakes, therefore in such a profession as nursing where we have peoples well being and lives in our hands why are we ALWAYS so rushed? I feel like I have to get running at the beginning of my shift to stay afloat for the day and if that morning routine gets interrupted (which is most of the time) I easily drown and become stressed and rushed. It's scary sometimes... That's the profession, you are not alone, hang in there and you will get through. I pray everyday that God would protect my patients while they are under my care and the care of the hospital. I believe patients are very vulnerable while they are in the hospital. Be thankful when your mistakes are not life threatening or causing much harm and learn from them. And when you need to take a break from work to regroup and unwind, it's for your good and your patients' good too!

As a manager, I often see my staff make mistakes. As a new graduate I made a few myself. Approach your manager. pop your head in and say " Hey" I'm feeling overwhelmed. what are you seeing? Is there anything you can do to help me feel more secure? Classes? Extended orientaiton? Organizational courses? Extended preceptorship? Often the employer is unaware of your concerns but can find ways to help. Reach out to your supervisor. I bet you find that he/she has been there and wants to help.

I always double-check d/c foley to make sure I have the correct pt first. If delegating to a CNA, I say the room # AND the pt name as a double-check - and I never say it from memory, but from my written list. And I triple-check meds. 1st check when getting out of the pyxis, 2nd check before leaving the med room, 3rd check in pt's room with nameband check as well. This takes a bit more time, but writing up occurrence reports takes much more time (and so does looking for a new job if management decides you make too many errors). When shifts are really hectic, I intentionally slow down with meds as I know I'm more likely to make a mistake.

I also a new graduate started working in december of last year. I had a night shift, which was suprising going well got two admissions with 2 foleys in from the recovery room. Both patients were addmited in to the same room. I done all the admision orders myself and transcribed them in to the kardex. Bed2 there was an order not to remove foley. Bed4 order to remove the foley at 6am. Wrote it in my notes. At 6am removed them both did not even realized that for Bed2 the was an order stated not to remove it. I recognised that in the next 10 minutes when i was taping the report for the coming shift. I called the doctor who said those things should not be happing and i got a new order to put it back. I reinserted checked it more then few times if the pt was ok and if the foley was working ok. Everything is good. I spoke with the charge nurse regarding accident report told it was unnecessary to complete it because there was no harm. I feel horible and i can not understand how it happened. I was so sure i was doing the right thing. Within the next 30 minutes every nurse on my floor knew about the accident that i made and were talking behind my back and laughing. Which made me feel even more awful. I can not stop crying. I called the unit to ask if the pt was ok the nurse that took report from me stated that everything is fine and I should not worry. But i think only I can do such a stupid mistake. I took a day off. But i do not know if i can work at my unit because i feel humiliated. Can someone relate or give advise please.

Quote from savotinaI also a new graduate started working in december of last year. I had a night shift, which was suprising going well got two admissions with 2 foleys in from the recovery room. Both patients were addmited in to the same room. I done all the admision orders myself and transcribed them in to the kardex. Bed2 there was an order not to remove foley. Bed4 order to remove the foley at 6am. Wrote it in my notes. At 6am removed them both did not even realized that for Bed2 the was an order stated not to remove it. I recognised that in the next 10 minutes when i was taping the report for the coming shift. I called the doctor who said those things should not be happing and i got a new order to put it back. I reinserted checked it more then few times if the pt was ok and if the foley was working ok. Everything is good. I spoke with the charge nurse regarding accident report told it was unnecessary to complete it because there was no harm. I feel horible and i can not understand how it happened. I was so sure i was doing the right thing. Within the next 30 minutes every nurse on my floor knew about the accident that i made and were talking behind my back and laughing. Which made me feel even more awful. I can not stop crying. I called the unit to ask if the pt was ok the nurse that took report from me stated that everything is fine and I should not worry. But i think only I can do such a stupid mistake. I took a day off. But i do not know if i can work at my unit because i feel humiliated. Can someone relate or give advise please.

Quote from savotinaI also a new graduate started working in december of last year. I had a night shift, which was suprising going well got two admissions with 2 foleys in from the recovery room. Both patients were addmited in to the same room. I done all the admision orders myself and transcribed them in to the kardex. Bed2 there was an order not to remove foley. Bed4 order to remove the foley at 6am. Wrote it in my notes. At 6am removed them both did not even realized that for Bed2 the was an order stated not to remove it. I recognised that in the next 10 minutes when i was taping the report for the coming shift. I called the doctor who said those things should not be happing and i got a new order to put it back. I reinserted checked it more then few times if the pt was ok and if the foley was working ok. Everything is good. I spoke with the charge nurse regarding accident report told it was unnecessary to complete it because there was no harm. I feel horible and i can not understand how it happened. I was so sure i was doing the right thing. Within the next 30 minutes every nurse on my floor knew about the accident that i made and were talking behind my back and laughing. Which made me feel even more awful. I can not stop crying. I called the unit to ask if the pt was ok the nurse that took report from me stated that everything is fine and I should not worry. But i think only I can do such a stupid mistake. I took a day off. But i do not know if i can work at my unit because i feel humiliated. Can someone relate or give advise please.

OP, hang in there. I know it's been said many times, but we all make mistakes. And that is how we learn. I once took out an IV when it was done, not realizing that the doctor had said to keep it intact just in case we need to add another bag. Now I learned to always make sure I ask the doc if I can take it out or not. I also let a patient go without paying (urgent care, not hospital so we take care of some billing ourselves) and we couldn't contact him. Good thing it wasn't taken out of my paycheck. Another lesson learned!