When a Healthcare Professional Makes a Mistake: My Journey Through Error, Reflection, and Resilience

Life often feels sweet, predictable, and full of purpose – until something unexpected happens. Suddenly, you see
yourself in a new, often painful light. The emotions are overwhelming. It’s even harder when the mistake happens at
work, especially in healthcare, where lives are at stake and perfection is silently expected.

No one really talks about what it feels like to make a professional error. There’s little space or support for those
moments when you are not your best. In 2023, I made a serious error in judgment as a healthcare professional. The
moment I realized what had happened, I did everything I could to correct it as quickly as possible. I was deeply
apologetic. But that’s not where the story ends.

An investigation followed—to determine the cause, assess my actions, and decide on the consequences. Once an error
is logged, it triggers a process that can feel more punishing than educational. And with it came a wave of shame, guilt,
and self-blame. I became unwell. Depression took over. I struggled to care for my children, my home, and myself. I
leaned heavily on the support of my family and friends.

This was one of the most humbling experiences of my life—and it wasn’t over. The investigation continued while I still
had to show up for work, had to provide for my family. I only knew pharmacy, so that’s what I kept doing.
But how do you survive something like this? How do we support healthcare professionals through these dark and
vulnerable times?

Do we let those who make mistakes fall into mental illness, unemployment, and isolation? Or do we create a culture that
acknowledges mistakes as part of human experience and learning?

Mistakes can happen to anyone. A mistake is defined as a wrong action or judgment caused by poor reasoning,
carelessness, or insufficient knowledge. You might think it could never happen to you—but it can. I never thought it
could happen to me either, but it did. It changed me. It remade me.

Let me share a few things I’ve done—and continue to do—that are helping me move through this season of my life. I’m
still on the journey, but I hope my experience can help someone else feel less alone.

What Helped Me Through

1. Take Time to Reflect

Give yourself permission to pause. Reflect deeply on what happened, why it happened, and what you could have done
differently. Don’t rush the process—sit with it, even when it’s uncomfortable. Full, honest reflection is where healing
begins.

2. Be Grateful, Even Through the Pain

Allow yourself to grieve what’s been lost, but also take stock of what remains. Gratitude doesn’t erase the pain, but it
can anchor you. Be patient—it takes time to see the light again, but it is still there.

3. Don’t Fear the Investigation—Learn from It

The investigation isn’t your enemy. It’s an opportunity to understand where things went wrong and how to grow from it.
You want to become better—for yourself and for the people you care for. Embrace the process with humility. Growth
often comes from our deepest challenges.

4. Build Resilience

No matter how hard it gets, don’t give up. You are more than your mistake. Keep going. Keep learning. Keep showing
up.

5. Own Your Story

Don’t run from what happened—embrace it. Let it be part of your story, not the end of it. When you’re ready, share your
experience. Not with shame, but with honesty. It might help someone else survive their own difficult chapter.

Mistakes don’t define us—how we respond to them does. You may face judgment. Some people may use it against you.
But you also have the power to become someone stronger, wiser, and more compassionate because of it.

Remove the self-hate. Let the experience shape you for the better. Keep learning. Keep growing. And if nothing else—
journal. Write it all out. Let your story live and evolve.

You are not alone