Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

A.M.E. — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 01:23:48 GMT

I really feel for the people who work in departments where the management and schedule makers leave a bit to be desired. My sister's husband is an R.T. at B.A.M.C. here in San Antonio, Texas. He is constantly over scheduled...people are supposed to have a max of 38 hours a week...he is over 56 hours. That cannot be good...but, unlike normal workplaces, you can't quite complain the same way to Uncle Sam. It's a shame. Nobody should be overworked especially when they are entrusted with somebody's life! A lot of the issue at this particular local is that those in charge rarely know what it is that they are even supposed to do...ahhh, solution...get the "little people" to do it for you...and keep doing it...again and again and again...until the ones in charge actually get promoted for all the good work that they should have been doing to begin with. The ones who really do the work never get the appreciation they deserve...or the rest!

Thank you to all of you out there who strive to make better the lives all you encounter.

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

mimi2seven — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:22 GMT

Thanks to all who have spoken up to support us nurses - I'm feeling a whole lot better about this forum, now.

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

Magnolia — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:17:56 GMT

Although like mimi2seven, I could not access the article, I am posting anyway.

It seems that this subject has hit a nerve with the nursing community and not surprisingly. Nurses are some of the hardest working people I know. If I am feeling under the weather, I'd rather have a nurse on hand than a doctor.

My naturepath is a former registered nurse who practiced for over twenty years before disillusionment with allopathic medicine led her to go back to school to study naturopathy. She is nothing short of amazing. Also, her nursing experience with getting patients to cooperate and follow the doctors' orders makes her excellent at cajoling, teasing, and bullying me into doing the things I need to do to achieve a higher level of health.

I appreciate the nurses out there who are willing to do the night shift. Its a challenging job. Thanks to all of you!

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

mimi2seven — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 13:26:09 GMT

I could not access this article, so I cannot rate it. I have, however replied to some of the comments.

I'd like to further say that it is extremely unfortunate that people, Americans particularly, are quick to attack, and advertise, medical mistakes, but how many of you have ever thanked a dedicated, overworked nurse or doctor for a job well done? I can assure you, without talented, intelligent, well-educated, knowledgable nurses, far more hospital patients would die.

Just once, I'd like to see Dr. Mercola post an article (and there are many) that reports on the life-saving value of adequate staffing of competent, professional, dedicated nurses, and the detrimental effect on patient care and outcomes because of inadequate staffing.

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

wetherbee333 — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 15:56:08 GMT

I lived in the hospital for 5 months with my son, a little over a year ago. I slept in his room, and rarely left the room during the day. I quickly became accustomed to the sounds that the I.V. made when the medications were being administred at the proper rate. I don't know how many times I would have to tell the night nurses that they were mistaken.They would get upset with me, or argue with me, then check the charts, and come back and have to fix it right. There was a nurse that would really mess up when her blood sugar level would drop. One of the nurses that I became friends with told me that she had a grand mal seizure due to sleep deprivation when every body was calling in sick!

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

PPARGammaGirl — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 22:46:16 GMT

I too had a hard time doing those 12-hour night shifts. You crash between 5-6 am just at the time you really need to concentrate on the drug round so you have to drink a mighty strong coffee to keep you alert, and then find yourself unable to sleep when you get home. It takes 3 weeks for your system to adjust to the time changes and we did 1 week of nights every month ensuring you never did quite adjust. Not good for your health at all.

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

PepperR23 — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:50:08 GMT

I worked the night shift back in the 1980's on the Orthopedic floor. Although I think some people are able to adjust and do fine working those hours, I was not able to. In addition to finding it difficult to concentrate, it was very stressful living with the fear that an error could occur due to extreme exhaustion. The other thing that made it hard was that it was a 12 hour shift. Once I was tranferred to days I was fine!

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

mmc88121 — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:29:00 GMT

This does not even take into account the double shifts nurse's work. Just if they have difficulty sleeping. People will make mistakes and tired people make more mistakes than people who are well rested.

Mary

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

Reesacat — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:21:33 GMT

I was a charge nurse on nights on a busy medical/surgical floor in the 1980's. It happens. Back then we had a lot less drugs, patients had
longer stays so we got to know them and what they would take, and
less IV's.

If you have to go to the hospital, take someone with you to check all meds if you cannot do it yourself.

I had a hysterectomy on my floor where I was charge nurse and they
tried to give me a drug I was allergic to 3 times (after I had a nasty
Demerol reaction). The system was a mess 20 years ago.

re: Sleepy Nurses Increase Medication Errors

Russ Bianchi — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:45:14 GMT

Yet another in a long list of reasons to avoid reactive and hospital medicine like the PLAGUE, you chances of dying from total incompetency in the broken system are much higher.