If you are just starting your career as a nurse, you may feel nervous and sometimes make mistakes. Often, the chances of making mistakes increase due to issues such as longer shifts, heavier workloads and lack of experience. You can minimize your chances of making a mistake by understanding the following common mistakes new nurses make and how to avoid them.
1. Medication errors
Dispensing the wrong medication to a patient, dispensing the wrong dose of medication, or prescribing to the wrong patient.
Whether you are a new nurse or a nurse who has been working for many years,doctor of nursing practice programme in asia anyone can make a medication mistake. For new nurses, the most common causes of medication errors are lack of "mental state," as well as nerves and stress. Studies show that dosing errors can account for 32% of medication errors.
2. Infection problem
Infections have long been recognized as a common problem in hospitals. As a nurse, you will have the opportunity to use the skills learned from your training to minimize the risk of nosocomial infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 99,000 people die from nosocomial infections each year in U.S. hospitals alone. Hospital-acquired infections may occur due to negligence on the part of medical personnel. Always remember: Standard Precautions, Aseptic Technique,masters in nursing programme in asia Cleaning and Disinfection, Infection Prevention Strategies.
3. Diagram or document errors
Recording basic patient-related information in a chart is an important part of a nurse's job, but many mistakes can be made during the process.
Here are some things to consider when keeping patient records: record health and medication information, record medications taken, record any discontinuations, record nursing actions, record changes in the patient's condition, record any orders regarding the patient's care.
If you are unsure about a problem, seek help from someone more experienced.
4. Asking for help without the right information at hand
While this mistake may not threaten your patient's life, it can pose some career risks if done regularly.
Do not rush to seek help from your doctor without having all the patient-related information ready. Be fully aware of this information so you can get help quickly and effectively, or you risk making yourself look unprofessional in front of other nurses, doctors, and patients.
5. Falls involving patients
When patients try to get out of bed and move around on their own after surgery, or while they are still weak, they may accidentally fall. Often, patients feel uncomfortable asking a nurse for help if they simply want to go to the bathroom or get something that is far away from them, and these incidents often occur when there is no one around to help or attend to the individual's needs. . Even the smallest of falls can lead to serious injuries and legal problems at the hospital.
The best way to avoid falls is to check on your patients frequently, especially those you think may be at higher risk than others. Whether it's day or night, make sure everything the patients you care for needs is within reach. Additionally, make sure patients know you are available to help them when they need help.