Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding intravenous medication errors prevention among ICU nurses and influencing...

In the intensive care unit (ICU), intravenous medication errors (MEs) pose serious risks to critically ill patients. ICU nurses, as the main executors of intravenous administration, are crucial in preventing MEs. Their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) directly affect prevention outcomes. Identifying influencing factors helps develop targeted measures to ensure safer medication administration and reduce MEs. Thus, this research intends to examine the knowledge, attitude, and performance of ICU nurses concerning intravenous MEs and determine the factors influencing their KAP scores.

Between December 2024 and May 2025, a multi-center cross-sectional study was carried out in nine hospitals located in Chongqing Municipality, Hubei Province, and Sichuan Province of China. An online survey was conducted among 447 ICU nurses via the QuestionnaireStar platform, using the General Information Questionnaire, the Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior in Medication Errors Questionnaire (KAB-MEQ), and the Chinese Calling Scale. T-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were performed to preliminarily identify influencing factors. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore independent factors associated with KAP scores.

Online data collection yielded 424 valid questionnaires, achieving a response rate of 94.9%. The total scores of KAB-MEQ were 82.01 ± 6.91. The proportion of participants with good knowledge, attitude and practice was 53.8, 84.4 and 66.3%, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that education level, professional title, years of ICU experience, receipt of relevant training, and career calling independently affected the KAP scores of nurses.

While ICU nurses generally held a positive attitude toward intravenous MEs, there was a noticeable deficiency in knowledge and a lack of standardization in practice. The results suggest that conducting refresher training, utilizing the exemplary roles of experienced nurses, and promoting a professional mission awareness may contribute to the improvement of ICU nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practices in preventing intravenous MEs.