Enhancing High Alert Medication Knowledge Among Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medical Staff.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality and safety
• Medication management
• Clinical pharmacy practice

Background:

• Limited data exist on healthcare staff knowledge of high alert medications (HAMs).
• Assessing and improving HAM knowledge is crucial for patient safety.
• Institution-specific knowledge gaps necessitate tailored interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess pharmacy, nursing, and medical staff knowledge of HAMs and associated procedures.
• To implement targeted interventions to enhance staff understanding of HAMs.
• To evaluate the impact of interventions on HAM knowledge after one year.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-intervention electronic survey assessed HAM knowledge among 1006 staff members.
• Interventions were implemented over a 6-month period.
• Response rates were 20% for the presurvey and 17% for the postsurvey.

Main Results:

• Staff confidence in HAM knowledge increased from 42.9% to 73.5% (P < 0.001).
• Correct identification of specific HAMs (e.g., insulin IV bolus, neonatal medications) and procedures improved significantly.
• Post-intervention, 92.9% correctly identified the need for "documentation of 2 independent registered nurse checks for HAM IV infusion rate changes".

Conclusions:

• Institution-specific assessments enable customized interventions for HAM improvements.
• Targeted interventions successfully enhanced hospital staff knowledge of high alert medications.
• Sustained improvements in HAM knowledge contribute to enhanced patient safety.