The effect of a five-part intervention to decrease omitted medications.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Patient Safety
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Medication administration errors persist despite barcode systems, particularly omitted medications.
• Interruptions and distractions are key barriers to accurate medication administration.
• Nurse administrators sought additional safety systems to mitigate medication errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a five-part protocol designed to decrease interruptions and distractions during medication administration.
• To assess the impact of the protocol on medication administration efficiency and error rates.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post quality improvement study on a medical-surgical unit.
• Direct observation of nurses during medication administration.
• Measurement of medication administration time and counting of interruptions/distractions.
• Participant surveys to capture nurses' perceptions of workplace distractions.

Main Results:

• The five-part intervention reduced nurse interruptions and distractions by 84% compared to a control group.
• Environmental conversations and interruptions by other personnel were the most frequent distractions.
• The protocol demonstrated a significant decrease in barriers to accurate medication administration.

Conclusions:

• A five-part protocol effectively reduces distractions and interruptions for nurses during medication administration.
• The protocol contributes to time savings and a reduction in omitted medications.
• Further investigation into workplace issues impacting medication delivery is warranted.