Gaps in intravenous medication safety practices: A study on nurse compliance in Vietnam

Intravenous therapy is widely used in hospital settings, however, nurse practice compliance remains suboptimal in many contexts. Although standardized initiatives have been introduced to address this issue, gaps in regulatory guidance and empirical evidence persist in Vietnam. This study aimed to evaluate nurses' compliance with newly implemented program and to identify factors associated with non-compliance in inpatient care settings.

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the tertiary military hospital in Southern Vietnam. Data were collected from 255 nurses using a peripheral IV drug preparation and administration processes assessment form based on JCI standards.

Compliance with standard IV medication preparation and injection procedures was 33.7% and 38%, respectively, with the mandatory step of "checking for drug interactions" achieved in only 38.8% of cases. Nurses with more than 10 years of experience demonstrated lower compliance with medication preparation procedures (AOR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.20-0.96; p=0.041). Significant differences in drug administration compliance were observed between emergency rooms and general wards (AOR=0.31, 95% CI: 0.15-0.63; p=0.001), weekdays and weekends (AOR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.21-0.83; p=0.001), and day and night shifts (AOR=0.30, 95% CI: 0.14-0.62; p=0.023), whereas gender, age, and professional level were not significantly associated.

Nurse compliance with both IV medication preparation and administration procedures were low. Continuous international training programs for all nurses is essential to ensure medication safety.