Faulty Nursing Student - What will happen?

I was chatting with my other sister just now, that she had just finished making an incident report for my nursing student sister. I asked her what happened? I was a bit shocked when she told me that my nursing student sister nearly killed her patient! WHAT? Oh my God, what did she do? I was totally stunned by the news. Then I asked her to send me the report so I would know the whole story. Here it is...

August 13, 2008

To Whom It May Concern;

August 12, 2008, I reported on duty at room 322A. My lady patient arrived back at 12:30 noon from the Delivery Room. However, before she came back, I was handling a newly admitted patient and I was busy doing something at that very moment for that patient. While I was busy attending my other patient, our team leader called me simultaneously, to look after my first patient instead. Then without hesitation, I’ve made a drain and charting on her.

The doctor arrived and asked the staff nurse for fast drip. While I was still doing the charting, the staff nurse who looked after the room 322A called me and asked to watch the fast drip she had made. She instructed me to cut it off when it reaches to 100cc level and then hooked the first used IVF back. Before I supposed to do it, I was thinking of asking permission first to our clinical instructor, however, the staff nurse had left immediately and no one will be left inside the room if I will have to do it. But then, I still wanted to ask my co-student nurse as I supposed, but they were too busy as well. Therefore, I decided to do what the staff nurse had instructed me.

Then the incident happened, at past 1 o’clock in the afternoon when I made the fast drip incorrectly for some reason. Instead of 100cc level it reached to over 40cc level. Luckily, I was saved by the doctor since he asked again for another 100cc for fast drip.

At that very moment of the incident and at that split second, I felt nervous with mixed emotions. But Ma’am/Sir, I did really try my very best to perform my duty and have been trying to do more based on my knowledge and belief, but I do apologize for what had happened. I know I may have made a mistake this time, though we all really make mistakes but again I tried my best, things like this can happen anytime. I will do more and try my best next time so it won’t happen again by God’s help.

I am hoping for your kind understanding and take my explanations.


Respectfully yours,

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A bit scary isn't it? Thanks God I decided to take up Accountancy course. I should say that it was 50% fault of her team leader as well, since she was asked to attend another patient during that day. Isn't it a Standard Operating Procedure of an OJT student to be given only a patient a day? I don't want to be biased, what my impression of my sister was, she was confused since she was attending two patients at the same time. Do you agree with me.

Girls out there, especially to all nursing graduates, who have knowledge in this course, to please give me your comments so I could relay these to my sister, at least to give her an idea on what to do to support her and give her moral support. As she was a bit scared to be given a failing grades after the incident.