Question

Nearing the end of her 18-hour work shift, a resident sees a patient with extremely high blood glucose levels. She writes the patient a prescription for insulin; however, in her exhaustion, she closes her "U" (for "units"), and it looks more like an extra zero. As a result, the pharmacist dispenses an insulin dose that's ten times stronger than the patient needs.

Which of the following is a latent unsafe condition in the system that contributes to the resident's error?

(A) Long work schedule
(B) Fatigue
(C) Inadequate training
(D) None of the above

Answer 1

The latent unsafe condition in the system that contributes to the resident's error is fatigue.

Step-by-step explanation:

The latent unsafe condition in the system that contributes to the resident's error is fatigue. Fatigue is a result of the resident nearing the end of her 18-hour work shift, which can impair her cognitive functioning and decision-making abilities. This fatigue may have caused her to make the error of closing the "U" in the insulin dose prescription, resulting in a dose that is ten times stronger than needed.