Medication safety within the perioperative environment.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare
• Patient Safety
• Nursing Research

Background:

• Increased public awareness of healthcare risks, particularly medication errors, highlights patient safety concerns.
• Medication errors significantly impact patient safety within the perioperative environment.
• Existing research on medication safety in perioperative settings is limited and primarily focuses on anesthesia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the knowledge gap in nursing-initiated research concerning medication safety within the perioperative continuum of care.
• To emphasize the need for nursing research to enhance medication safety systems and processes.
• To support the development of evidence-based practices in perioperative medication safety.

Main Methods:

• A review of the current state of scientific literature on medication safety in the perioperative environment was conducted.
• The review focused on identifying research domains and the extent of nursing involvement.
• Analysis of existing research to pinpoint areas lacking nursing-initiated investigations.

Main Results:

• Research on perioperative medication safety is predominantly within the anesthesia domain.
• There is a significant lack of nursing-initiated research focused on improving medication safety systems and processes.
• A notable knowledge gap exists regarding nursing's role in perioperative medication safety.

Conclusions:

• A substantial opportunity exists for nursing to develop a research program focused on perioperative medication safety.
• Nursing-led research is essential for advancing evidence-based practice in this critical area.
• Addressing this knowledge gap will improve patient safety within the perioperative continuum of care.