Nurses' perceptions of medication safety and medication reconciliation practices

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Medication reconciliation (MR) is vital for safe medication transfer across care continuum.
• Effective MR practices are essential for preventing medication errors during patient transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nurses' perceptions of patient safety, medication safety, and current MR practices.
• Identify challenges in MR at hospital transition points.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 111 nursing staff in general medicine units.
• 39 nurses completed the survey, yielding a 35% response rate.

Main Results:

• High positive response for "Teamwork within units" (98.1%).
• Low positive response for handoffs and transitions (42.8%).
• Identified improvement areas: patient safety systems, inconsistent MR practices, communication, and staffing resources.

Conclusions:

• Addressing identified challenges in safety systems, communication, and resources is critical before formalizing MR programs.
• Survey insights can inform other Canadian healthcare organizations implementing MR services.