Making Mistakes

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new"  Albert Einstein

Making a mistake can be an awful blow to the ego.  Making a mistake in nursing can have life changing consequences.  Making a mistake in pediatric nursing can make you the most hated person for the rest of your life!!!  

Yesterday while teaching pediatric clinicals I made a mistake while supervising a student giving an IV antibiotic to a small child.  Yep, the earth stopped turning, my stomach did several somersaults and it kept me awake all night.  Thankfully it was not a huge mistake, I got the right drug, right patient right route (thank goodness) but I calculated the rate incorrectly resulting in IV was done and pump was still running end game.... in air in the line.  It was not me who discovered the mistake but an observant staff nurse.  However, she chose to take her wrath out on the student and when I stepped in and said its not her fault at all, totally me, I was supervising her.  I then encouraged the staff to make this a teachable moment and go step by step through how to calculate the rate so (me) and the students will hopefully not make that same mistake again.

The student was mortified but in post conference I reminded them that everyone makes mistakes.  Most nurses have made med errors and if they deny it they are lying.  I remember the first time I made a med error I did not sleep for 3 weeks!!  The point is we have to at all costs prevent mistakes through careful teaching and supervision but it's going to happen.  So let's create an environment of "no fail", where its only a failure if you don't learn from it.  I have made many mistakes as a novice and seasoned nurse and there is really no point hiding from it, or getting defensive.  You just have to swallow big, own the mistake and move on.  It still hurts though, spend the night asking myself how did I make such a simple mistake?  How arrogant!!!  It happens to us all, we all have an off day.  

If you see one of your colleagues making a mistake of any proportion say to yourself "there but for the grace of God....."  Embrace them, sympathize, empathize, learn and move on.

Have missed blogging for a couple of weeks, got totally caught up in that holiday called Thanksgiving.  Young adult college age children came home which also means their entourage arrived shortly thereafter.  I love having young adults in the house, spent my time making bacon everything, filling/emptying the dishwasher, folding laundry, picking up beer bottles....you get the idea.  It was heaven, I loved every minute of it. 

Now thankful for a day when I can sit in my office with my buddy (the puppy) and get stuff done as the snow falls heavily outside.......a perfect day.

So....know there is life after you make a mistake, it may even make you a better clinician.