You are caring for a new group of patients in the nursing home, and one of your team members, a CNA, tells you that Julia in room 40B is having aching in her knees and would like something for pain. You check the medication record and see she has Tylenol 650 mg PO ordered every 4–6 hours for pain. She has not received any pain medication for several days. You obtain the medication and enter room 40. You go to bed B and say, “Hello, Julia, here’s your pain medication.” You give her a cup of water and she swallows the Tylenol. Later on the CNA returns and reminds you that Julia is still asking for her pain medication. You check the MAR, look at the photo of Julia, and realize you have given Tylenol to her roommate instead. You have made a medication error, and it requires a written medication error report, to make a call to her doctor, and notification to your supervisor. You look at her roommate’s medical record and find that she, too, has an order for Tylenol. You decide to give Tylenol to Julia and then document that you gave Tylenol to both Julia and her roommate. After all, no harm will occur to either patient. 1. What rationalizations might you have used to come to the decision you did regarding this medication error? 2. If a nurse has an obligation to do good and no harm and your actions produced no harm, have you behaved unethically? 3. Have you ever rationalized doing something that you knew was not the right thing?
You are caring for a new group of patients in the nursing home, and one of your team members, a CNA, tells you that Julia in room 40B is having aching in her knees and would like something for pain. You check the medication record and see she has Tylenol 650 mg PO ordered every 4–6 hours for pain. She has not received any pain medication for several days. You obtain the medication and enter room 40. You go to bed B and say, “Hello, Julia, here’s your pain medication.” You give her a cup of water and she swallows the Tylenol. Later on the CNA returns and reminds you that Julia is still asking for her pain medication. You check the MAR, look at the photo of Julia, and realize you have given Tylenol to her roommate instead. You have made a medication error, and it requires a written medication error report, to make a call to her doctor, and notification to your supervisor. You look at her roommate’s medical record and find that she, too, has an order for Tylenol. You decide to give Tylenol to Julia and then document that you gave Tylenol to both Julia and her roommate. After all, no harm will occur to either patient.
1. What rationalizations might you have used to come to the decision you did regarding this medication error?
2. If a nurse has an obligation to do good and no harm and your actions produced no harm, have you behaved unethically?
3. Have you ever rationalized doing something that you knew was not the right thing?
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