Content validation of the Medication Error Worksheet

Clinical nurse specialists use a variety of preexisting instruments to measure and describe health-related concepts. It is important for clinical nurse specialists to know how to evaluate the content validity of potentially useful instruments. This study assessed the content validity of the Institute for Safe Medication Practice's Medication Error Worksheet. The worksheet is used as a questioning framework to guide data collection processes when beginning analysis of a medication error. Although the worksheet has been valuable to the Institute for Safe Medication Practice staff, its content validity has not been determined. Content validity methods included expert validation and a review of the related literature. Results support the validity of the Medication Error Worksheet and suggest that this worksheet is a comprehensive tool that may be helpful when exploring the circumstances of medication errors and when analyzing medication use systems. Results were shared with the Institute for Safe Medication Practice staff to improve the accuracy of the worksheet.