Work last night was better than usual because I finally had another staff to work with! And when there are two staff we do the color-coding system. Which basically means you take responsibility for these three people {showers, meds, pack lunches, etc for solely them} and laundry and I'll take care of these two people and cooking. Or vice versa. So, you balance the load. It's great and the way it's supposed to be.
That's fairly irrelevant to my story though.
Yesterday one of our ladies went to the doctor because one of the staff said she might have an ear infection. I didn't think so at all but whatever, I'm not paying for it, state of Oregon is. So she came back in the middle of my shift and the staff that took her didn't say anything and clocked out. My co-worker spent the rest of the night doin' our thing, enjoyed the lightened work load, and hung out with the ladies. I was in charge of said ear infection lady and I did everything I was supposed to. Her meds were done in order and on time, shower done, teeth brushed, lunch packed, laundry in the washer, everything was right and dandy.
I got off work and went straight home to the Couv, happy for my day off.
My day off started with a 7:30 am text from my boss.
Texts from your boss are either a really good or really bad thing.
Today it was bad.
She asked if I had done ear infection ladies new meds. What new meds?! Apparently after going to the doctor there were new meds prescribed and filled that the staff taking her failed to mention. Yes, she noted it in the MAR and Communication Log, but didn't verbally pass it on. That's really my only defense. Aside from the lack of verbal communication, I have no excuses. I made a mistake.
But not just a mistake, a potentially life-altering one. I mean this isn't just, "oh I forgot to fax in that report, I apologize. Let me take care of that within the hour." This is "oh I forgot to give her the seizure medication and now she's having a seizure and now she's dead. Let me take care of THAT within the hour!" This is about people's lives! The room for error in regards to medication is not nearly as wide as with frickin cleaning or laundry! This is the one category in which I focus majority of my efforts and I still screwed up!
Granted, the medications I missed were just for the supposed ear infection. But it could have been anything. I'm responsible for lives here and I made a big mistake.
At the end of the texting conversation in which I panicked and apologized and freaked out to my boss she said "I'll take care of the missed med paperwork, relax and enjoy your day off."
HA.
Enjoy my day off after that?!
Stadd keeps telling me not to take my work home with me. I try not to. It's easy to leave your work at work when it's just home loans. It's hard to leave your work there when it has wedged its way into your heart.