How can I appeal for a written warning?

Question

I am a RN working in a hospital. During overnight duty, my colleague had adminstered a dangerous drug while I was away, which supposed to have 2 RN's signature. When I came back, my colleague just asked me to sign. Unfortunately it was found later that he had given the wrong drug. The patient is fine and not going for lawsuit. It turned out that we both will be given written warning from the hospital and will be filed in our personel record. It's unfair coz I wasn't there and he could have find me to check with him. How and what points should I bring about my appeal case?

Answer 1

The first thing you are taught in nursing school is patient safety!!! NEVER administer a medication or sign for one without double checking your five rights . . . you know better, and a written warning is the least that the administration should have done as a disciplinary action! Can you imagine if someone had died because of this med?
PROTECT your license, and that includes never trusting anyone with it. You put yourself in a dangerous position, thankfully there were not repercussions to your actions except a slap on the hand.
Learn the bigger lesson here & forget about the paper. Thankfully it wasn't serious & you still have your license, which I know you worked hard for.

Answer 2

Personally, as a person who has been a patient in the hospital a few times in my life, I think a written warning for approval of the wrong drug being administered is an appropriate punishment. I don't have to tell you that in your line of work, you've got people's lives in your hands all the time. What if the patient had been allergic to the drug that was administered? What if it had a bad reaction to another drug the patient was on, and killed them? There is a lot that could have happened. You shouldn't have signed the paper without question. You could have been fired. I would just accept the warning and be more careful next time.

Answer 3

I'm afraid you don't have much grounds for an appeal. From your story anything you say is probably worse then what the warning said. You signed a medical document after the fact, and attested to something you knew nothing about. You really want to use that as a defence? I would suggest taking the warning and being careful you never do that again.

-Dio

Answer 4

The bottom line is you should have never signed if you weren't there to witness the administering of the medicine.

You can appeal all you want, but I believe there is no sense in it because your signature is on the bottom line.

If you have a union, you might stand a chance, but I am afraid you otherwise you will be appealing to deaf ears.

Answer 5

This is something you need to discuss with Human Resources at your hospital.