A Mistake That Was Not: How Mental Resilience Transforms Medical Errors

Is it possible that a surgeon's true lifeline is coffee, not skill?

Dr. Emily, a seasoned surgeon known for her detail-oriented approach, often joked that her morning coffee was just as essential as her scalpel. One busy morning, after a very busy night on call, she was in the Operating Room without her usual caffeine boost. As she prepped for a routine appendectomy, she mentioned to the surgical team that she half-seriously wondered whether it was the coffee or her years of training that kept her steady.

Midway through the procedure, fatigue took its toll on her. In a split-second lapse, Dr. Emily inadvertently clamped the wrong blood vessel. The monitors beeped, and the surgical team froze. She recognized the mistake instantly and quickly corrected it. The patient stabilized. The operation was completed successfully, but the error remained on her mind.

The Weight of an Honest Mistake

The following days were filled with Dr. Emily reviewing the events and then going quiet. Could she have avoided the error? Was she losing her edge?

Dr. Emily turned to her colleague, Dr. Raj, who had faced a similar situation years ago.

Dr. Raj shared a story he often used in therapy sessions: Two friends were walking in the desert when an argument broke out, leading one to slap the other. The one who had been slapped wrote in the sand, "Today, my best friend slapped me." Later, when the friend who had been slapped was saved from drowning by the same person, he carved into a stone, "Today, my best friend saved my life."

When asked why, he explained, "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase it. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it." (Mainline Play Therapy)

Transforming a Mistake into Growth

Inspired by this perspective, Dr. Emily realized that her serious mistake did not define her. She adopted a new mindset: writing errors in the sand while carving lessons learned in stone. She began practicing mindfulness, sought mentorship, and worked on improving her mental resilience. Over time, she saw errors as opportunities for growth rather than dwelling on them as sources of shame.

This shift in perspective did not just benefit her—it transformed her as a leader. When a junior resident made a critical mistake during surgery, Dr. Emily chose to mentor rather than reprimand. She shared her experience, reinforcing that mistakes are part of the learning process and that resilience grows in the face of challenges.

The Power of Forgiveness in Medicine

The ability to forgive oneself and others in the world of Healthcare is a part of professional growth. Mental resilience allows Medical Professionals to learn from their missteps, establish a culture of support, and ultimately provide better patient care.

Dr. Emilyr's journey is a reminder that the best surgeons, nurses, and Healthcare Professionals are not those who never make mistakes—but those who learn, adapt, and grow stronger from them.

How do you handle mistakes in your profession? Are they written in sand or carved in stone? Please discuss in the comments.

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