Medication Administration Errors and Associated Factors Among Nurses

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality
• Patient Safety
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Medication errors pose significant risks, including patient harm, loss of trust, prolonged hospitalization, increased costs, and mortality.
• Assessing medication administration errors (MAE) and their contributing factors is crucial for improving patient safety in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of medication administration errors (MAE) among nurses in Ethiopian referral hospitals.
• To identify factors associated with MAE in this population.

Main Methods:

• An institutional-based, cross-sectional study was conducted with 422 nurses selected via simple random sampling.
• Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and observational checklists.
• Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with MAE.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of MAE was found in 57.7% of participants, with 30.4% reporting errors more than three times.
• Common errors included wrong time (38.6%), wrong assessment (27.5%), and wrong evaluation (26.1%).
• Factors significantly associated with MAE included lack of training, unavailability of guidelines, poor communication, interruptions, and failure to adhere to medication administration rights.

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of MAE in the study area is high compared to other Ethiopian hospitals.
• Developing guidelines, providing comprehensive training, and implementing strategies to minimize distractions are recommended to reduce MAE.
• Addressing these factors can enhance patient safety and healthcare quality.