Nurses' identification and reporting of medication errors.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Medication safety is a global concern.
• Effective identification and reporting of medication errors are vital for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how hospital nurses in Turkey identify and report medication errors.
• To understand the factors influencing nurses' reporting of medication errors.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive survey design adhering to STROBE guidelines was employed.
• 135 nurses from a Turkish university hospital participated.
• A survey with 18 sample cases assessed error identification and reporting, analyzed with chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.

Main Results:

• Nurses correctly identified most medication errors, with 97% recognizing a morphine sulphate dosage error.
• Identification and reporting varied significantly across different error types, with only 32.1% identifying omitted antibiotics as an error.
• Eight specific medication error scenarios were identified and reported, despite statistical differences in their recognition and reporting.

Conclusions:

• Nurses possess the ability to identify medication errors but exhibit reluctance in reporting them, primarily due to fear of repercussions.
• When medication errors are reported, it is typically to physicians.
• Establishing a unified definition of medication errors and implementing clear, supportive reporting mechanisms are essential for enhancing patient safety and encouraging staff to report errors without fear of punishment.