Awareness About Patient Safety Case Study 2022

Running head: MEDICAL ERRORS 1
Medical Errors
Name
Institution

MEDICAL ERRORS 2
Medical Errors
Introduction
Patient safety has witnessed increased attention in recent years, however, medical errors and
adverse health outcomes are still rampant in the healthcare setting. Healthcare is supposed to be
safe but that is not always the case in most healthcare facilities. Most admitted patients suffer
medical errors related injuries which are mostly preventable if negligence is avoided (Makary &
Daniel, 2016). Patient safety can be improved if health practitioners understand the factors that
contribute to these medical errors and come up with interventions to counter them (Senders,
2018).
The aim of is this paper is to give a comprehensive description of an incident in which a patient
allegedly succumbed to injuries due to a medical error. The paper additionally talks about the
nurse’s role in the incident. Furthermore, the paper discusses the consequences of the incident to
the nurse, the patient, and her family. This paper also talks about the actions a nurse can take to
improve their practice and prevent reoccurrence of the error. Finally, the paper gives the writers
reflection in brief about the incident.
Incident Description
The case scenario provided is about a grandmother from Sydney who allegedly died after a nurse
crushed 3 different oral tablets into the patient’s IV-drip at St. George Hospital. The patient,
Nymphea Anderson who was 97 at the time of her demise was complaining about pain in her
arm and wrist just minutes after the mixture of three tablets was injected into her cannula. She
suffered a serious heart attack at 10.35pm on that material day that led to her death. It is also

MEDICAL ERRORS 3
reported that Mrs. Anderson had a medical history that included severe heart disease and high
blood pressure.
The nurse exercised an act of negligence by administering the medication in the wrong way. The
nurse was aware that the intravenous administration of the three drugs was not a proper action
but still proceeded. She did not consult anyone before proceeding with her action and as a result,
a fatal medical error took place.
Consequence of the Incident
Medication errors can affect the patient, their family, and the nurse or the healthcare provider.
For the patient, it can cause severe pain and possibly death. Additionally, these mistakes can
cause emotional and psychological stress for the nurse responsible. Nurses who perform medical
errors suffers from conditions like self-doubt, shame, and guilt ("Impact of Medication Errors on
Patients, Healthcare Providers and Hospitals - Sharps Safety Products for Medical Professionals
- Qlicksmart", 2019). The feeling is a syndrome known as the second victim and it can be life-
threatening (Edrees Paine, Feroli & Wu, 2011). The embarrassment prevents them from owning
their mistakes. Furthermore, the affected patient or family can sue for negligence which may
affect the nurse’s career advancements and put her at risk of having her practicing certificate
revoked.
The effects on the patient may be physical injuries and probably death. In some instances, it
leads to the patient temporarily or permanently developing a new health condition. The severe
injury and death in other cases may be devastating to the family members of the patient ("Impact
of Medication Errors on Patients, Healthcare Providers and Hospitals - Sharps Safety Products