Medication Administration Errors
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By: Amanda Sandstrom
Grand Canyon University: NRS-433V
April 13, 2013
Problem Statement Medication errors are one of the most common errors in healthcare. Sentinel events lead to research in determining why errors were happening and how they can be prevented. Learning why medication errors occur, and the events leading up to the error is important to understand so policies and procedures can be implemented. Nurses are play a vital role in reporting and preventing medication errors, as the nurses are the last person in the medication administration process. The Institute of Medicine reports 44,000 to 98,000 people die in hospitals annually as a result of medication errors that could have been prevented (Stetina, Groves & Pafford, 2005). Deaths caused by medication errors more than doubled in ten years from 2,876 in 1983 to 7,391 in 1993 (Stetina, Groves & Pafford, 2005). Medication errors and the complications due to them increase patient stays, costs, and patient disabilities. Medication administration is a complex process and an error can occur at any point within the process. Prescription, transcription, dispensing and lastly administration are all part of the process. The last process of administration is provided by the nurse who must be vigilant and ensure there were no errors within the whole process before administering the medication.
Purpose and Research Questions
The purpose of this study was to focus on how nurses experience making a medication error, and being involved in the process in which an error occurred, what constitutes a medication error, and what steps need to be taken after an error occur
Questions sought to be answered by this study are: What constitutes a medication error? How are medication errors reported? Are the five rights of medication administration used
By: Amanda Sandstrom
Grand Canyon University: NRS-433V
April 13, 2013
Problem Statement Medication errors are one of the most common errors in healthcare. Sentinel events lead to research in determining why errors were happening and how they can be prevented. Learning why medication errors occur, and the events leading up to the error is important to understand so policies and procedures can be implemented. Nurses are play a vital role in reporting and preventing medication errors, as the nurses are the last person in the medication administration process. The Institute of Medicine reports 44,000 to 98,000 people die in hospitals annually as a result of medication errors that could have been prevented (Stetina, Groves & Pafford, 2005). Deaths caused by medication errors more than doubled in ten years from 2,876 in 1983 to 7,391 in 1993 (Stetina, Groves & Pafford, 2005). Medication errors and the complications due to them increase patient stays, costs, and patient disabilities. Medication administration is a complex process and an error can occur at any point within the process. Prescription, transcription, dispensing and lastly administration are all part of the process. The last process of administration is provided by the nurse who must be vigilant and ensure there were no errors within the whole process before administering the medication.
Purpose and Research Questions
The purpose of this study was to focus on how nurses experience making a medication error, and being involved in the process in which an error occurred, what constitutes a medication error, and what steps need to be taken after an error occur
Questions sought to be answered by this study are: What constitutes a medication error? How are medication errors reported? Are the five rights of medication administration used
References: Clinical reasoning can prevent mediation errors. (2012, August 22). Retrieved from http://confidenceconnected.com/connect/article/clinical_reasoning_can_prevent_medication_errors/ Hartnell, N., Mackinnon, N., Sketris, I., & Fleming, M. (n.d.). Identifying, understanding and overcoming barriers to medication error reporting in hospitals: A focus group study. (2012). BMJ Quality and Safety, 21(5), 361-368. Stetina, P., Groves, M., & Pafford, L. (n.d.). Managing medication errors: A qualitative study. (2005). Medsurg Nursing, 14(3), 174-178.