Josie King Knowledge-Based Error

During January in 200 Josie King was taken to John’s Hopkins hospital after suffering first and second degree burns from a hot bath. She was 18 months old and had a long life ahead of her. After being admitted to the PICU Josie was healing well and seemed like she would be released home soon. After being transferred out of the PICU Josie’s mother Sorrell began to worry. Sorrell knew something was different about her daughter and that she seemed dehydrated and needed water. After consulting with multiple nurses Josie’s mother was told not to give the small child anything to drink and that her vitals were perfectly normal. After being reassured many times Sorrell went home to get some well-needed sleep. Returning back to the hospital at 5:30 that next morning the mother’s instinct had been right. Josie’s mother screamed for doctors because she knew something was extremely wrong just by the way Josie looked. The doctors administered Narcan quickly and Josie was then allowed to drink some
Skill-based errors occurred multiple times during Josie’s stay at John’s Hopkins Hospital. First, the nurses should have taken Sorrell King more seriously to be completely positive that Josie was not dehydrated. Second, the nurse should not have administered narcotics to the small child, which ultimately lead to her death. In knowledge-based errors when presented with a new situation, an individual makes an error due to lack of knowledge. (2011) In Josie’s story the nurses just assumed Josie was okay because of her vital signs, but they should have taken into considerations her actions and the way she looked. They may have not dealt with dehydrated patients before and did not know the signs. Also, the nurse that administered Josie the methadone might have thought she was doing good for Josie by giving her the medicine, but did not know the repercussions that could