So I am a senior level nursing studnet graduating in May and I am really nervous. I had my 2nd clinical day of the semester today and made alot of silly mistakes. For example the patient needed 15ml of a drug and I only took 10ml out of the pyxis. I guess my question is do the professors expect perfection because it's my senoir year or is it okay to make mistakes?
Mimi
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September 30th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Well it’s never ok to make a mistake. That being said, we all do it now and again without knowing. Most of the time patients do not suffer but sometimes a mistake can be devastating.
I do not say this to scare you, but medications give a lot of room for error. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check your math until you get very comfortable, and even then ALWAYS double check!
Practice and prepare ahead of time so you can feel confident. Many of us are more prone to errors when we are nervous or flustered. If you make a silly mistake nobody will care. Remember there are no stupid questions, and if asking a question will help you avoid making an error, please ask. As long as you are vigilant regarding the areas of patient safety you will succeed!!!
September 30th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I am a nursing student in my last semester. What I don’t understand about your post is the fact that you are authorized to go into the pyxis without the supervision of the primary nurse assigned to the patient you are taking care of. When I administer meds to a patient, I go to the pyxis with the primary nurse assigned to my patient and we take the meds out of the pyxis together. The nurse logs into the pyxis and some nurses let me take out the meds from the pyxis and others take it out themselves. When I draw up medications, the nurse is always by my side to supervise. This procedure happens at all of my clincials, not just with one particular nurse. Actually, it’s school policy that the nursing student be supervised when accessing and administering medications. The mistake you made would not have happened if you had been supervised by the nurse. I think you should speak to your clinical instructor about the need for more supervision by the nurse or by your clincial instructor. It’s ok to make mistakes, but when it comes to medications, mistakes can be deadly. Therefore, I think it’s important to prevent mistakes in the future.
In regards to whether or not your professor expects perfection from a senior level nursing student, that depends on the professor. I have had very laid back professors that don’t make a big deal about mistakes and I’ve had other professors that make a huge deal if you sneeze wrong. My best advice is to avoid medication errors in the future. Good luck.
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:53 pm
just be cautious of med-errors. this is a time to be tactful and accountable for your own actions. just take a deep breath. gather yourself. and re-open that pyxis! you are being evaluated, but other qualities are being assessed as well!