Medication error Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Medication error - Essay Example There was a patient who had been recently diagnosed with cancer. She was being moved into the operating room for a permanent placement of intravenous line inside her chest. The medical team had resolved to postpone the chemotherapy for a day or two in the morning rounds, but the doctor in charge decided to do the chemotherapy the very night. I was already taking care of three patients and nothing new was in my plan till then. The patient was soon to arrive from the operating room while I had several orders of chemotherapy to check on my part, not just once, but double-check before forwarding them to the pharmacy so that administration could be commenced. After completing the checks, I went to see the patient who had by the time come out of the operating room. The patient was feeling very hungry, but the hospital kitchen was closed. So I took jam and bread from the pantry to make a sandwich for her. I noticed an unusual leak in the IV line of the patient as she tried it. We had not en countered such a problem before. Even the surgeon had come back from his home to check if everything was alright. After the checkup, everything was found to be fine so I provided the patient with the chemotherapy that was scheduled for her. I was feeling very exhausted but deep inside, I was satisfied that I had made it. I felt like a Superman who could do it all. The next morning, I was awakened by a phone call that was too early for the regular calling time. Actually that there was still a chemo dose in the table in the hospital as I had provided the patient with just one dose instead of two that were supposed to be given. I could feel electric shocks run down my spine. In chemotherapy, the drugs’ timing can alter the treatment’s quality and effectiveness. I was very worried to have put the patient into such a compromising situation and she might even die because of lack of proper treatment in time just because of the mistake I had made.