Correlates of medication error in hospitals

This article examines associations between medication error and selected factors in the workplace of hospital-employed registered nurses (RNs) in Canada.

Data are from the 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses, and were weighted to be representative of all RNs in Canada who deliver direct care to hospital patients. Correlates of medication error were considered in bivariate and multivariate analyses. Multiple logistic regression modeling was used to examine medication error in relation to work organization and workplace environment, while controlling for personal factors, including nurses' general and mental health, job dissatisfaction, education, years of experience in nursing, and clinical area of employment.

Nearly one-fifth (19%) of hospital RNs reported that medication error involving patients in their care had occurred "occasionally" or "frequently" in the past year. In the fully adjusted multivariate model, medication error was positively associated with usually working overtime, role overload, perceived staffing or resource inadequacy, low co-worker support, and low job security. Usually working a 12-hour shift, compared with shorter shifts, was negatively associated with medication error.