Barriers to medication error reporting among hospital nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Medication errors are a significant concern in hospitals, occurring from prescribing to patient administration.
• Understanding factors contributing to medication errors is essential for implementing effective safety measures.
• Under-reporting of medication errors by healthcare professionals compromises patient safety and hinders quality improvement initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and report barriers to medication error reporting experienced by hospital nurses.
• To validate and assess the reliability of an existing questionnaire designed to measure these reporting barriers.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study conducted in 2017 at a US-based community hospital.
• An online survey distributed to approximately 1,000 registered nurses, with 357 participants.
• Factor analysis identified four key barriers: Fear, Cultural Barriers, Lack of Knowledge/Feedback, and Practical/Utility Barriers, demonstrating high internal consistency.

Main Results:

• The medication error reporting barriers questionnaire showed good validity and excellent reliability in the hospital nursing population.
• A significant percentage of nurses (11%-48%) identified specific factors as potential reporting barriers.
• Time-consuming aspects of reporting and fear of repercussions were the most frequently cited barriers.

Conclusions:

• Hospitals should utilize validated questionnaires to identify nurses' perceived barriers to medication error reporting.
• Proactive measures are needed to encourage better reporting and overcome identified obstacles.
• Addressing these barriers is vital for accurate data collection and the prevention of harmful practices, ultimately enhancing patient safety.