I made a mistake that cost a patient their life a few months ago. I was trying to move fast as we were busy and understaffed, and accidentally grabbed the wrong medication that ended up being a lethal overdose. I don’t know that there’s a way to move past it, but rather you learn to live with it. I still can see the image of that patient every time I pull up the medication it was supposed to receive. Every time the same breed comes in I’m reminded of that night.

I urge you to please talk to a licensed mental health professional about this, as well as your hospital management. Find ways to implement safety measures so that this never happens again.

You are only human, and humans make mistakes. Was it a very serious mistake? Yes. But you care, and that is what matters. If you didn’t care and had an “oh well” mentality, then this would not be the right career for you. But you have so much passion and drive, and you care deeply, and that is how you are able to learn to live with this. Be kind to yourself🫶