Factors associated with medication administration errors and why nurses fail to report them

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality and Safety
• Nursing Practice
• Medication Management

Background:

• Patient safety is a critical healthcare challenge, with medication administration errors contributing to adverse outcomes.
• Understanding the factors influencing medication errors and their reporting is crucial for enhancing patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess factors contributing to the occurrence of medication errors from a nurse's perspective.
• To identify barriers preventing nurses from reporting medication errors.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 367 nurses at a large public hospital.
• A validated questionnaire was used to collect data on causes of medication errors and reporting barriers.
• Descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis, with institutional review board approval and participant anonymity ensured.

Main Results:

• Key factors associated with medication errors include medication packaging, nurse-physician communication, pharmacy processes, nurse staffing, and transcription issues.
• Primary barriers to error reporting involve administrative responses, fear of repercussions, and differing definitions of errors.
• A significant percentage of medication errors remain unreported by nurses.

Conclusions:

• Medication errors are linked to packaging, communication, workload, and staff rotation; improved teamwork is essential for prevention.
• Enhancing a safety culture, providing nurse support, and improving communication are vital.
• Integration of health informatics, such as computerized drug administration systems, is recommended to reduce errors.