To Err is Nurse: It's Time To Get Honest About Nursing
Podcast Episode
We’ve all heard the saying, to err is human. But when a nurse makes an error, they risk losing their job, license, and sometimes, their freedom.
It begs the question, has the title of “healthcare hero” created a false identity that nurses are not allowed to be human?
In this episode of Nurse Converse, I interviewed Sharon Hanson, RN. Ten years ago, Sharon was my first nurse educator in my residency. She is a highly experienced nurse with almost 38 years at the bedside and in teaching and advocacy.
Errors Aren’t the End-All of Nursing Careers
On the first day Sharon taught our residency class, she humbly told us about when she made a fatal med error in her career. That anecdote forever shaped my perception, and influenced my approach when I, too, almost made a fatal med error.
The error Sharon made did not end her career. Instead, she funneled her humility, honesty, and vulnerability to create a safer medication administration system for her hospital.
Sharon’s bravery in continuously telling her story years after the incident has created a ripple effect of enforcing stronger medication safety standards. Her experience is a powerful tool in educating new nurses on how to handle their own medication errors.
From Burn Out to Rediscovering a Passion for Nursing
In the midst of her career, Sharon became involved in the Sepsis Alliance as a nurse and an advocate when she almost lost her husband to a sepsis-related infection. At that time, Sharon experienced life on the “other side” of the bedside. She found herself in the same situation almost every nurse finds themselves at some point: burnt out.
Sharon’s struggle highlights the challenges of modern nursing that so many of us also bear. It eventually led to the statement we all make at that pivotal point in our career, “I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”
But Sharon made a career decision that changed her course in nursing, and she found happiness in a field where she had contributed so much for almost four decades. After years in the ICU, teaching, and an adjunct professorship at the University of Washington, Sharon is back at the bedside in pediatric oncology, where she has found a renewed love for the art of nursing.
Accepting Errors With Compassion
Sharon's story touches so many nurses from students to new grads to seasoned veterans. Her vulnerability is refreshing and welcome, especially in a nursing culture that has shifted from patient-centered care to survival of administration.
Sharon’s message is one of optimism to us nurses who struggle from fear of error and the defeat of burnout. It permits us to accept that errors happen, and they do not define who we are as nurses, but distinguish us as human. It provides the hope to keep exploring the world of nursing, ultimately finding where we belong.
After all, nursing is not who we are, it’s what we do; do YOU.
*Sharon still advocates for early sepsis recognition and highly encourages nurses to get educated and involved with sepsis.org
Connect with Jana on LinkedIn and social media:
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🤔What do you think about Sharon Hansen’s experience with nursing errors? Do you have your own story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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