The effect of workload on nurses' non-observance errors in medication administration processes: A cross-sectional...

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Medication administration errors are a significant concern in healthcare.
• Non-observance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) by nurses can lead to errors.
• The impact of nursing workload on these errors requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify non-observance errors in medication administration.
• To clarify the relationship between nursing workload and non-observance errors.
• To provide data for targeted improvements in nursing practices.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey of self-reported medication error cases from three Japanese hospitals (Jan-Dec 2014).
• Comparison of SOPs with actual error content to identify non-observance errors and workload factors.
• Statistical analysis to determine the correlation between nursing workload and non-observance errors.

Main Results:

• A total of 637 medication administration errors were reported.
• 163 errors (25.6%) were identified as workload-related non-observance errors.
• Seven specific workload issues and six error categories contributing to non-observance were identified.

Conclusions:

• Nursing workload significantly influences non-observance errors in medication administration.
• Findings highlight key areas for intervention to reduce errors.
• This research supports the development of strategies to mitigate workload-related risks in nursing.