Understanding nursing errors

When Louisiana residents consider medical malpractice, they may think about surgical errors. However, errors can also occur when nurses are at a patient’s bedside. It is important to understand different kinds of nursing errors.

Patients may most often experience an error in their medication. American Nurse Today magazine says that sometimes a nurse might administer the wrong medication or the wrong dosage if a medical team does not communicate well. Errors can also occur if someone improperly restocks medications. Someone might put in the wrong dosage of a medication or misread a handwritten prescription. Additionally, some prescriptions have names that sound similar and a nurse might accidentally reach for the wrong one. Mislabeled packages can also result in errors.

Sometimes the working environment can cause a nurse to make an error while working with a patient. If a nurse has a heavy workload or is interrupted while working, he or she may administer the wrong dosage of a medication or forget to check equipment settings. Poor lighting might also cause a nurse to misread directions about a patient’s care.

Nursing errors can also include failing to minimize a patient’s chance of developing an infection. According to TravelNursing.com, nurses are usually required to follow a checklist when they work with patients. This includes providing oral care and elevating beds, as well as washing their hands. Additionally, it is important for nurses to make sure that medical equipment is sanitized and has the proper settings. Sometimes a patient may be harmed if he or she falls while trying to stand up unaided. Because of this, it is important for nurses to check on patients once each hour so they can make sure patients have everything they need.