Over the past fifteen years, over 1,700 patients have perished and close to ten thousand more were injured due to some type of nursing mistake. Poorly trained and overworked nurses fill the halls of hospitals and medical facilities all around the world.
Many of the mistakes made by nurses are the result of carelessness or negligence, which is only made worse by fatigue and insufficient training. Unfortunately, nursing mistakes are becoming more and more common, often resulting in serious injury or even death.
Why Nurses Make Mistakes
In the United States especially, there is a shortage of qualified nurses. In addition, nurses are typically overworked and underpaid. Due to the staff shortages, many hospitals have begun to implement mandatory overtime. To make matters worse, several hospitals and medical facilities have resorted to hiring nurses who are unqualified and often unlicensed just to keep up with the incredible demand.
Studies have shown a direct relationship between insufficient staff and nursing mistakes. In addition, research also indicates that the chances for nursing mistakes increase once the twelfth hour of a shift has passed.
Negligence is also a leading cause of nursing mistakes. When nurses are tired or stressed, they may fail to follow the proper steps to ensure patient safety. Such mistakes can lead to serious illness or injury.
Nurses have a responsibility never to do any harm to a patient. When on-duty nurses are negligent, patients pay the price. Sometimes the result of a nursing mistake due to negligence only causes minor injury, but some mistakes are fatal. Negligent nursing in absolutely avoidable, yet it is all too common in the clinics and hospitals of today. Thousands of patients each year must suffer because tired, overworked nurses fail to follow adequate practices and standards of care.
Common Nursing Mistakes
Some of the most common mistakes made by nurses include:
1. Improper medication dosage
2. Misuse of medical equipment
3. Failure to notice a change in the condition of a patient
4. Failure to report changes in a patient’s condition to the doctor
5. Failure to adequately monitor the condition of a patient
6. Delaying critical care
7. Failing to follow the doctor’s orders correctly and efficiently
8. Miscommunication between nurses and doctors or other departments
9. Attempting to perform a task for which they have not been properly trained
10. Administering medication or treatment to the wrong patient
Hospitals and medical facilities all around the world have a responsibility to make sure that all of their employees have been trained properly to meet the needs of every patient.
Dena White blogs about the many ways to search for a nurse practitioner degree programs online.
