Social Distractions In Nursing

Social distractions are inevitable in the hospital setting, but can also contribute to a higher possibility of medication errors. When the nurse is in the middle of preparing medication for the patient, the six rights are imperative to review, but interruptions can cause the nurse to miss one of the rights. Distracting the nurse during the process of medication administration can result in giving the wrong dose, giving an intravenous medication too quickly or slowly, not being on time, or even giving the drug to the wrong patient. The medical staff also can interrupt with updates on different patient’s vital signs or issues occurring, which can lead to confusion or forgetfulness for the nurse during medication