The 5 Most Common Nursing Mistakes (and How to Prevent Them)
Nurses play a vital role in patient safety and outcomes. Yet even the most skilled professionals can make errors, especially under pressure. While it’s easy to think in terms of “bad nurses” or “stupid nursing mistakes,” most errors are the result of systemic challenges like understaffing, fatigue, and communication breakdowns.
This article reviews the five most common nursing mistakes, what causes them, and practical steps you can take to prevent them. We’ll also cover how professional liability insurance protects you if an error occurs.
Why Nursing Errors Happen
Before looking at the specific mistakes, it’s important to recognize why they happen in the first place. Common root causes include:
- High workloads and fatigue – Longer shifts increase the risk of lapses in judgment.
- Staffing shortages – Especially in nursing homes, where patient-to-nurse ratios can be high.
- Poor communication – Between nurses, physicians, patients, and families.
- Inadequate resources or training – Particularly when new technology or procedures are introduced.
Errors don’t always signal incompetence—they often point to larger issues within the healthcare system.
1. Medication Errors
Why it matters: Administering the wrong drug, wrong dose, or at the wrong time is one of the most frequent and dangerous nursing mistakes. The Institute of Medicine estimates at least 1.5 million patients are affected by medication errors annually (NCBI).
Prevention:
- Follow the “five rights”: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time.
- Use barcode scanning and electronic medication administration records.
- Double-check with a colleague when giving high-risk medications.
2. Documentation Errors
Why it matters: Incomplete or inaccurate charting can lead to misdiagnosis, improper treatment, or even legal claims. Poor documentation is often cited in malpractice cases involving nurses.
Prevention:
- Document in real time instead of waiting until later.
- Avoid copying and pasting without verifying accuracy.
- Use structured charting tools to maintain clarity and consistency.
3. Patient Falls
Why it matters: Falls are among the most common adverse events in hospitals and nursing homes. Families may perceive these incidents as evidence of “bad nurses in nursing homes,” when the real issue is often systemic understaffing or lack of fall-prevention protocols.
Prevention:
- Perform fall-risk assessments on admission and regularly thereafter.
- Keep call lights, mobility aids, and personal items within easy reach.
- Communicate fall risks clearly during handoffs between shifts.
4. Failure to Monitor or Assess
Why it matters: Overlooking subtle changes in vital signs or failing to respond to warning signs can result in serious harm. Nurses caring for multiple patients at once are especially at risk of missing early red flags.
Prevention:
- Prioritize high-acuity patients when workloads are heavy.
- Use electronic alerts for abnormal lab values or vital signs.
- Stick closely to assessment schedules and escalate concerns quickly.
5. Communication Breakdowns
Why it matters: Miscommunication is one of the leading contributors to sentinel events, according to The Joint Commission. A simple misunderstanding between providers can have life-threatening consequences.
Prevention:
- Use standardized tools like SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) during handoffs.
- Repeat back verbal orders to confirm accuracy.
- Document key patient conversations and provider communications.
What to Do If You Make a Nursing Mistake
Even experienced nurses sometimes make errors. What matters most is how you respond:
- Report immediately to your supervisor and follow facility protocols.
- Document accurately what happened, including corrective actions.
- Disclose honestly to the patient if required by policy and ethics.
- Learn and adapt by reflecting on what contributed to the mistake.
Owning and addressing mistakes helps maintain trust while reducing the chance of recurrence.
Protecting Yourself with Professional Liability Insurance
While prevention is the priority, every nurse, and even nurse practitioners, should recognize the risk of facing a claim—especially in today’s litigious environment. Even if you’ve never made a serious error, allegations of negligence can be costly.
Professional liability insurance from NOW Insurance helps by:
- Covering defense costs if you’re named in a lawsuit.
- License protection through coverage for board actions.
- Protecting you against claims of malpractice or negligence.
- Giving you peace of mind so you can focus on patient care.
Conclusion
Nursing mistakes are an unfortunate reality of healthcare. They don’t necessarily reflect “bad nurses” or incompetence, but rather the pressures and complexities of modern practice. By recognizing the top five errors and actively applying prevention strategies, nurses can protect both their patients and their careers.
To safeguard your future and practice with confidence, learn more about affordable, comprehensive professional liability insurance from NOW Insurance today.
Advanced practice nurses, home health workers, LPN/LVN and other allied healthcare workers can get professional liability coverage for their profession.
Get a quote in under 3 minutes with our online application.