Final year nursing students' preparedness for medication administration during COVID-19: A multi-site survey study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Workforce Preparedness

Background:

• Medication administration is critical for patient safety, with nurses central to its safe execution.
• Ensuring nursing students are adequately prepared for medication administration before graduation is essential.
• Limited data exists on final-year nursing students' perceived preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the characteristics of final-year undergraduate nursing students.
• To evaluate their perceived preparedness for medication administration.
• To compare preparedness across three universities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A multi-site, cross-sectional survey design was employed.
• Data collected using student demographics, the 'Preparedness for Medication Administration' (Revised) tool, and an open-ended question.
• Analysis included descriptive statistics, comparative tests (ranked means, Chi-Square, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H), and directed content analysis.

Main Results:

• Students generally reported high preparedness for medication administration.
• International students demonstrated significantly higher preparedness scores than domestic students.
• Student comments revealed specific preparedness gaps, with COVID-19 potentially influencing inter-university score variations.

Conclusions:

• The study offers insights into nursing students' medication management preparedness amidst pandemic-related restrictions.
• Findings underscore the necessity for integrated medication education and assessment throughout nursing curricula.
• Additional support for newly graduated nurses in medication management is recommended due to pandemic-induced limitations.