Nurses' sleep quality and medication administration errors: A cross-sectional study based on the ten rights framework

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Medication errors are a leading cause of preventable harm in healthcare.
• Nurses' sleep quality is a critical factor influencing medication administration.
• Understanding this relationship is vital for enhancing patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of nurses' sleep quality on medication administration errors.
• To analyze errors within the framework of the "Ten Rights" of medication administration.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 217 nurses in a tertiary hospital.
• Data collected via sociodemographic form, medication errors form, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
• Analysis followed Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.

Main Results:

• Nurses reported poor overall sleep quality (mean PSQI score: 9.24 ± 3.35).
• Poor sleep quality was associated with gender, marital status, parental status, long working hours, and prior medication errors.
• Low sleep quality increased the likelihood of errors in "right time and frequency," "right documentation," and "right evaluation."

Conclusions:

• Poor sleep quality among nurses is associated with specific medication administration errors.
• Interventions to support nurses' sleep health may improve medication safety.
• Enhancing nurse sleep quality can contribute to better patient care outcomes.