Medication errors in intensive care units: nurses' training needs.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Pharmacology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Medication errors in intensive care units (ICUs) pose significant risks.
• Effective intravenous medication administration is critical for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key elements in nurses' knowledge, training, behavior, and attitudes that prevent intravenous medication errors in ICUs.
• To assess current educational preparedness and identify areas for improvement in medication administration training.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous 43-item questionnaire was administered to 123 nurses at two university hospitals in Rome.
• Data were collected on nurses' perceptions of their training and educational needs regarding intravenous medication administration.

Main Results:

• 96.7% of nurses reported that basic nursing courses covered intravenous medication preparation and administration.
• Over 95% of nurses deemed it important to enhance their knowledge in this area.
• 94.3% desired improved teaching during degree courses, and 91.1% supported specialized postgraduate courses.

Conclusions:

• Robust pharmacological knowledge is essential for safe drug administration and patient response evaluation.
• Effective medication management requires understanding theoretical and clinical pharmacology, adapting to patient needs, and possessing practical administration skills.