3 Common Nursing Errors You should Avoid

Errors in nursing can be either be deliberate or unintentional. While you are considering the mistakes you committed or that happened in your shift, you need to also consider if they are reversible or irreversible.

Certain errors are irreversible, yet they are not fatal, and may not lead to death of a patient, while certain errors are extremely fatal. Errors can happen; it happens in every other profession; and a quote goes thus, "nobody is above mistake".

Of a truth, nobody is beyond making a mistake, but not at the expense of others lives or health.
There are certain errors in nursing, and in this article 3 common errors will be looked at.


 1. Medication errors
 According to One study, 42% of healthcare  related-life-threating events and 28% of medication adverse reaction are preventable.


Medication adminstration is a complex multistem process, that encompasses, prescribing, transcribing, dispensing and administering drugs and monitoring patient's response.


Nurses do not only administer medications, they take the responsibility
 of monitoring the patient.
Examples of medication error may include;
- Forgetting to unclamp an IV may lead to a fluid deficit
  - Failing to check a new order for accuracy might result in the wrong dose being given to the patient.


To avoid medication errors;
  - Double check all high alert medications with another nurse
  - Understand and know the medications that are being administered
  - Keep in mind that if the health care provider orders the wrong medication, wrong dose, wrong route or wrong frequency. The nurse still retains information of it all and should be sure before administering such medication.
  - Use the six medication rights
Make sure you are administering the right drug, and the right dose through the right route, to the right patient, at the right time, with the right documentation.



 2. Lack of priority setting
 The heading might sound like it is not needed, but if a nurse fails to prioritize, she may end up handing over her own duty to the next shift.


Priority setting is an important skill in nursing. Priority setting can be defined as the ordering of nursing problems using notions of urgency and or importance, in order to establish a preferential orders for nursing actions.
Although, there are factors that may influence your priority setting as a nurse.
  - Your expertise as a nurse
  - The patient's condition
  - Availability of resources
  - Ward organization
  - Nurse and patient relationship

Considering the structure of some health facilities, the best way to avoid other errors is to prioritize things.


 3.  Patient's fall
 Estimated figure says that 1 out of 3 adults who are 65years and older fall every year.
Nurses can protect their patient from falls by helping them get out of bed, checking on them often.


Elderly patients who fall are less likely to take part in beneficial activities like exercising or socializing becay of the fear of getting hurt again and the embarrassment of falls. It makes them worry about the future.

Moving out of an erroneous event can be difficult but not impossible. New registered nurses are more vulnerable to making errors more than experienced nurses.
When an error occurs, inform the administrators, ask for help, learn from your previous mistake and avoid the mistake at all times.


What other nursing errors do you know of?
How else can nurses improve their selves to avoid this errors?