Nursing Mistakes That Will Make You Feel Better

I had those mini panic attacks before work.
I freaked out every time I had to call a doctor.
I cried in the bathroom the first time a doctor yelled at me.
I cried after a terrible day in the car on the way home.
I called a patient’s wife his mother.
I took report on the wrong patient.
I had to admit a med error to an attending physician and 4 of her residents.
I accidentally discharged a patient too early and had to call them to go to a clinic to get a follow up BMP drawn after potassium replacement because I misunderstood the physicians order.
I stayed late because I hadn’t charted a word until 1930.
I hid in an unconscious patient’s room just so I could chart in peace and watch Family Guy.
I was terrified when I floated the first time, but it wasn’t so bad.
I froze during my first code.
I farted when I was alone in an elevator and then a doctor got on at the next floor.
I wasted a lot of time doing patient care, getting behind on my charting, because I was too scared to delegate to the tech playing on her phone.
I sprayed tube feeding residual all over myself and my patient because I forgot to flip the stopcock.
I’m still not the best IV starter in the unit three years later, but there’s more to nursing than that.
I still ask questions every single day.
I still fart in elevators.

Nursing Mistakes Still Happen – We Are Human

I can’t sit here and act like I’ve arrived and I don’t make mistakes anymore. I wish! But nope, I’m human. All nurses make mistakes. We all freeze or spray tube feeding residual on ourselves once in a while.

The most important thing is that you have someone you can laugh with and lean on. Get through these nursing mistakes and grow from them.