Nurses' Perceptions on the Implementation of a Safe Drug Administration Protocol and Its Effect on Error Notification

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Patient safety and quality of care are critical in healthcare policy.
• Standardized care protocols aim to improve patient outcomes and reduce errors.
• Effective implementation requires understanding healthcare professionals' perceptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nurses' perceptions of a standardized care protocol's implementation.
• To evaluate the protocol's impact on reporting medication administration adverse events.
• To analyze the influence of protocol implementation on patient safety indicators.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study involving 180 nurses from medical and surgical units.
• Data collection via questionnaires assessing protocol implementation and event notification.
• Statistical analysis using analysis of variance and regression models.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in perceptions and reporting were observed over time.
• The intervention group showed increased mean response ratings at 6 and 12 months.
• The new protocol led to the reporting of 246 adverse events and 481 incidents without harm.

Conclusions:

• Standardized care protocols positively influence nurses' perceptions and reporting of adverse events.
• Protocol implementation and event notification systems are vital for enhancing healthcare quality.
• Continuous evaluation and reinforcement of protocols are necessary for sustained patient safety improvements.