Nursing Students and Medication Errors: Why Don't They Question?

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Patient Safety
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Medication errors affect 5% of hospitalized patients despite ongoing reduction efforts.
• Simulation offers nursing students safe medication administration practice, including dosage calculation.
• Essential safety checks, like the Five Rights, are often neglected during simulated medication administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore why senior undergraduate nursing students fail to question incorrect medication orders in simulation.
• To identify barriers preventing students from correcting medication errors.
• To provide insights for educators to improve questioning skills in nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Observation of senior undergraduate nursing students during two semesters of simulation.
• Qualitative analysis of student explanations for not correcting medication errors.
• Focus on identifying barriers to questioning incorrect medication orders.

Main Results:

• Students frequently failed to question incorrect medication orders, contributing to medication errors.
• Explanations revealed specific barriers that inhibit students from seeking clarification.
• The study highlights a gap in students' ability to identify and address medication order discrepancies.

Conclusions:

• Educators must address barriers that prevent nursing students from questioning medication orders.
• Teaching students how, whom, and when to question is vital for enhancing medication safety.
• Improving critical thinking and communication skills in medication administration is essential for patient safety.