Correlation between medication errors with job satisfaction and fatigue of nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Medication errors are a significant concern in healthcare, potentially leading to adverse patient outcomes.
• Previous research suggests a possible link between nursing job satisfaction, fatigue, and medication errors.
• Understanding these correlations is crucial for improving medication safety protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the quantity and types of medication errors and nurses' job satisfaction and fatigue.
• To assess these correlations among nurses at Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in Yazd, Iran.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted with 170 nurses.
• Data were collected using questionnaires on demographic characteristics, medication administration errors, job satisfaction, and fatigue.
• Statistical analysis included Pearson correlation coefficient and Independent-samples t-test.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant relationship was found between job satisfaction or fatigue and medication errors.
• A significant association was observed between the age of nurses and the frequency of medication errors (p=0.037).
• Other demographic characteristics did not show a significant correlation with medication errors (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

• Despite the lack of a significant statistical relationship, the influence of job satisfaction and fatigue on medication errors should not be dismissed.
• Further research is recommended to explore these complex relationships in nursing practice.
• Age appears to be a relevant demographic factor associated with medication error frequency.