Implementing a safe and reliable process for medication administration.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Health Informatics
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Medical errors cause significant patient mortality, with medication administration errors contributing substantially.
• Systemic issues, not individual incompetence, are primary drivers of medical errors.
• Medication administration is a complex, multi-step process prone to errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline a sustainable, technology-enhanced process for medication administration led by clinical nurse specialists (CNSs).
• To demonstrate the successful implementation of a new medication administration system.
• To highlight the role of CNSs in improving hospital medication safety.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) system with bar-code scanning for patient and medication verification.
• Application of reliability science principles to guide project improvements.
• Collaboration between CNSs, pharmacy, information technology, and patient safety experts.

Main Results:

• Sustained bedside medication scan rates exceeding 97%.
• Reduction in medication errors from 2.89 to 1.48 per 10,000 doses.
• Demonstrated improvement in medication administration safety and patient experience.

Conclusions:

• Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are pivotal in implementing electronic medication administration systems.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for addressing stakeholder interests and ensuring project success.
• This project offers a replicable model for enhancing medication safety through technology and leadership.