Reflection Paper
The Chasing Zero video talks about the medical errors problems that the healthcare
environment has. The video explains different ways on how to reduce such errors and how you
can prevent them. The documentary is meant to educate the public and to bring attention to the
healthcare world how critically important it is to be following legal standards. Not only for just
the RN or the HCP but also the patient too. Being a patient and knowing your rights and being
able to speak up is critical in your medical care. In the documentary it brought up a medical error
case about Dennis Quaid, father of twins. His twins were given the wrong medicine and dosage.
To be exact one thousand times more of heparin; once or twice over a eight hour period. Rather
than 10 units of Hep-lock the twins were ordered. This could have easily killed his two twins
from the mistake of the healthcare team. It is critical to be doing everything up to standard and
triple checking everything.
Watching this documentary influences my future nursing practice by showing me that the
three checks we have to take for medicine administration is crucial. That it isn't just a
recommended standard, it is a legal obligation of a nurse to do three checks of the medication
before administering to the patient. Knowing that medical errors can happen so easily like this
really shows how much work the medical field needs for improvement. I will be applying all the
legal standards and guidelines not only for myself for legal safety reasons because it is another
person's life on the line. One person’s life doesn't just affect them but also their whole family,
culture, and the community. I am going to take care of my patients how I want to be taken care
of. Having confidence in what skills I will be applying, knowing adverse effects and how to
reverse them, steps to prevent illness and health promotion, and just simply teaching my patients
everything they should be informed about. Going into the medical field as a nurse I know I will
be making it better.