Med Error

I did a HUGE mistake today on my first day of orientation to the floor. My preceptor was passing meds to our patient using apple sauce and I was right across from her on the other side of the bed. Well, she said she had to go get something and handed me the cup of pills and apple sauce and said to finish passing meds. I DID! I did not witness what meds my preceptor was giving with the MAR so I should have NEVER given these meds. This will take me awhile to get over. No one said anything.
So was there an error? Or are you freaking out because you don't know what you gave?Technically I guess you would be right about needing to know what you were giving but you may be over thinking it. You could also say that if the apple sauce had been left on the med cart for a minute that someone could have put something in it so that could be a med error.I don't see where an actual error was made by what you posted.

Yes, you should have checked.You will never do that again. But you may make a different mistake! Just be as careful as possible and always double check meds.

I am a stickler for following policies and procedures so this is evident that no matter how careful you may be you may still make a mistake. I saw her do the 1st med check with the MAR but I did NOT see her do the 2nd and 3rd check. I should have never given those meds.

Come back and let us know how you feel when you eventually give an actual wrong medication, or give bp meds to a hypotensive patient. When you're off orientation and have 5 patients to take care of, and you just have to get this one thing done before you can go pee. Your idealistic views will certainly fade. You cannot be super nurse no matter how much of a stickler you are. Do you have scanning capabilities? That's your second and third check. That's why we have scanners, to reduce time and make less errors.

OH whatever. If this is the worst mistake you make, count yourself lucky. Real nursing is not textbook land.

Quote from XNavyCorpsmanI am a stickler for following policies and procedures so this is evident that no matter how careful you may be you may still make a mistake. I saw her do the 1st med check with the MAR but I did NOT see her do the 2nd and 3rd check. I should have never given those meds.

it's one thing to be thorough and do the right thing, but if you are going to be so anal about things this early on, you are going to give yourself a heart attack in short time. ( i should know, I have done the same things in the past)

Quote from XNavyCorpsmanI am a stickler for following policies and procedures so this is evident that no matter how careful you may be you may still make a mistake. I saw her do the 1st med check with the MAR but I did NOT see her do the 2nd and 3rd check. I should have never given those meds.

Since you're a huge stickler for doing things by the book, why did you give meds that you yourself did not prepared and checked? Next time, you can let your preceptor know that you can't give the meds as you have not prepared or checked the meds.But you're going to find that in real life nursing, not everything is done by the books.

Quote from MPKHSince you're a huge stickler for doing things by the book, why did you give meds that you yourself did not prepared and checked?

So, in accordance toyour other post, to tell ornot tell, did you write yourself up for giving a med you didn't loo up, etc?? You need to simmer down or your nursing life is going tobe miserable.

Giving meds that another nurse poured may not be best practice, but its not automatically a med error. In the future, just say you're not comfortable giving meds you didn't pour yourself. If you say it in a relaxed, non-judgemental way, no one will be offended.