A nurse almost gives the wrong IV medication because two vials look similar, but the error is caught in time. What type of event should be reported ?

Choice A reason: A "Never Event" refers to particularly shocking medical errors that should never occur, such as surgery on the wrong body part or leaving a foreign object inside a patient. These events result in significant harm and are used as clear indicators of serious underlying safety system failures. Choice B reason: An "Adverse Event" is an injury resulting from a medical intervention or error rather than the patient's underlying condition. Because the nurse caught the error before the medication was administered, no injury occurred to the patient, meaning this does not meet the criteria for an adverse event. Choice C reason: A "Near Miss" (or "close call") is an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage—but had the potential to do so. Reporting near misses is vital in healthcare to identify "look-alike" packaging and improve systemic safeguards before a patient is actually harmed in the future. Choice D reason: A "Sentinel Event" is a patient safety event that reaches a patient and results in death, permanent harm, or severe temporary harm. Since the medication was never given and the patient remained unharmed, the situation does not reach the severity required for a sentinel event designation.