How to report a medication error
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
Reporting errors helps the system find and fix weak spots. The goal is learning, not blame.
Step by step
Check the patient
Assess vital signs and symptoms right away. Patient safety comes first. [1]
Tell the prescriber
Notify the provider quickly so they can order monitoring or an antidote if needed. [1]
Follow orders
Carry out new orders, such as extra labs or closer monitoring. [1]
Inform the patient
Tell the patient honestly what happened, per your policy on disclosure. [2]
File an incident report
Write the facts only: what happened, when, and what was done. The report is not part of the chart. [3]
Chart the facts
Document the medicine given, the assessment and the actions in the record. Do not write that an incident report was filed. [3]
Report near misses too
Errors caught before they reach the patient also help prevent future harm. [2]
Common errors
- Filling out the report before checking the patient.
- Writing "incident report filed" in the chart.
- Not reporting near misses.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
VMS cases that train this skill
Sources
- Open RN, Nursing Pharmacology 2e (CC BY 4.0)
- The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals
- Open RN, Nursing Fundamentals 2e (CC BY 4.0)
Facts and steps follow The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.