First Med Error in 15 years

I recently went to work at nursing home after 1 year and 9 months and I was glad to get back to work. Anyway, I had no idea the nursing home had G tags when I was hired. Well, short story too long 3 weeks into my job with 1 day orientation I made a med error. I confused a resident with her room mate. The resident was anxious and climbing out of bed, she was yelling, and seem nervous. This continued for sometime I wanted to help her feel better and I pulled the PRN narcotic MAR which here is kept seperate from the original MAR. I immediate saw she had a order for antianxiety and administered it to her (watch out) about a couple hours later she was still agitated no change. I went again to her MAR only to discover I made a mistake she had no medicine, and that I had pulled her room mates med card and gave her the med. Needless to say I assess her and called the doctor who's answering service was suppose to call him for me. No hear back in a reasonable amount of time. Then I called them again and they had a doctor on call for him call me. I explain to the doctor about the error and the doctor was not to concerned NKDA and the worse was they would sleep most of the morning. Being new I had to rely on others to help me find the correct form to file the med error. I thought I did everything I could do called the doctor, monitor the resident, documented and filed the paperwork.

Well, I got suspended and the DON treated me so indignant. She try to twist my words and make me say something else this went on all day with phone calls. I made a error and stupid mistake I failed to double check, and I have no other story so stop baggering me. Thinking to myself Okay, yes I know you have G tags or sitations, but they happen before I came so why are you abusing me so hard. I don't know what she will do I called the BON they said they rarely do anything to a nurse that makes a med error and has no history, and the resident was okay, they said nurses make them and the important thing was I called the doctor and reported it. Howeves, if she files a complaint i worry I will suffer. I really tried hard and failed, and I feel really awful.

So what is your thoughts? Do you think I could get into any trouble with my BON? Last edit by danursern on Aug 25, '10
I'm so sorry this happened. It sounds like you handled the error to the best of your ability.Two things: One day of orientation??!! That is awful... Also, what is a "G tag"?

What is a G tag? Is that a name bracelet? Anyway, don't beat yourself up about it. We have all made a mistake. We are only human. The patient wasn't harmed and you did the right thing, admitted your mistake, called the doctor. I doubt you would have trouble from the BON about that although I'm not an expert in that area. I'm sorry your manager is giving you a hard time over it. They will discourage other nurses from owning up to their mistakes by treating you harshly which isn't good. I'm sure this will make you even more careful in the future and you won't make the same mistake again.

Maybe I messed up it may be a F tag. This is long term care so its a sitation of some kind during a state survey, and a plan of correction must be implemmented the state comes back to followup. So to many flags/tags cost the LTC money and also could result in a license suspension. I really do not have the pros and cons on this method, but i know one thing I will most certainly learn from this. I understood the BON to say they have to follow up on a complaint, so if she files one on me there of course will be a investigation. However, since I did what I felt I had to do and thought I did everything being this is the first time this has happen to me. Not that I have never had any troubles at work this is the first time med error. This DON said I should have tried other measures first well we did try to divert her attention. She wasn't in pain just agitated however, it could have been pain agitation, but the CNA's said she gets agitated every so often??? So the DON could used that against me with the error. I am sick about it. I love being a nurse and don't know how I could have been so darn stupid truthfully I thonk I becames overwhelmed with the job. I was trying to do well and do my best and I failed.Thanks for the support!

Med errors happen and 9 times out of 10 it is a systemic error with the facility. It sounds like the doc wasn't concerned and the patient wasn't harmed.My understanding is that an F or G tag the facility is about to get their Medicare certification pulled because of chronic and critical systemic errors and a pattern of patient harm. So I imagince they are scrambling to take the heat off of themselves.Just make sure to document, document, document. Not likely the BON will blame this on you, errors happen.But I would suggest that you look for another job fast and get out of there as soon as possible.

Yeah, I am out of there ASAP. I am sure she will pick me apart and pull all my work looking for more mistakes to report on me to state like holes in the MAR and TARS, or missed stuff if she can find any. I thought I found the perfect place to work, but look at me now.

Quote from DaNurseRNYeah, I am out of there ASAP. I am sure she will pick me apart and pull all my work looking for more mistakes to report on me to state like holes in the MAR and TARS, or missed stuff if she can find any. I thought I found the perfect place to work, but look at me now.

If all the nurses are reported to the BON for the med error then there wouldnt be any nurses left. Patient was not harmed and you did everything you are suppose to do. I think your DON is being too harsh on you. It doesnt sound like this place is not very supportive of nurses and not a good environment to work so i would find another job.

Is there any way you could call the patients doctor and get a PRN order covering the medication you gave? Sounds like the patient needs one ... or could you just write the prn order, torb and get it signed the next time you see the MD?

The same thing happen to me,but I was let go. They told me that they felt I was not happy there anymore so they were letting me go. This was April 26 and I am still looking for a job.

When I conveyed the fact that many nurses make mistakes or medicine errors to this DON she told me big and boldly no they do not as if she was beyond that, but she isn't working the floor is she. I have to find away to move on and if I do receive a complaint from the BON I'll just have just deal with it professionally as I tried to do with this med error. I think as long as she is running the facility there is going to be tags just my thoughts.

That DON sounds like a bully. One med error doesn't make you a bad nurse. Sounds` like a toxic place to work. Also more than one day of orientation is needed for sure. When ever I meet nasty people like that, I remember one of my favorite sayings," What goes around, comes around." She'll get hers and it will be way worse for her being a DON!

I wasn't trying to make nice on what I did wrong or anything like that when I conveyed this information to her it's just I have been around for many moons and I know this. She kept pushing at me to say something else as to what could have caused this and it is plain and simple as the nose on my face I goof and thank goodness the resident was not hurt. However, I don't recall one DON in my past ever being so indignant.