The Red Square: A Healthcare Sterile Cockpit to Reduce Medication Errors

Medication administration is one of many duties and responsibilities of school nurses and involves both scheduled and as-needed (prn) medications. When administering medications, school nurses also experience unscheduled student health room visits, as well as interruptions such as staff member inquiries, miscellaneous phone calls, and occasional safety drills, to name a few. These distractions, inherent to the school nursing position, can lead to medication errors and pose a risk to students. This article describes the concept of a health care sterile cockpit (red square) and a school district's use of innovation in the health room to improve medication safety and reduce errors. Other benefits of implementing the red square will be discussed.