ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In the U.S., around 450,000 preventable medication errors have been reported, which is equivalent to $3.5 billion per year. Medication administration errors lead to patient injury, which results in increased length of stay in the hospital, increased hospitalization costs, and legal expenses. Neglecting standard policies and interruptions during the medication process disturb patient safety and contribute to medication errors.

AIMS: This evidence-based presentation aims to determine the effect of education to nurses on interventions during the medication process to decrease medication errors.

METHODOLOGY: A questionnaire will collect data before and after the education to compare nurse’s baseline knowledge to their knowledge after the education is received. The author created the questionnaire; therefore, validity and reliability are not accounted for. The first part of the intervention consists of a red zone around medication carts indicating a “No Interruption Zone”. Then nurses will don a safety accessory (sash, vest, or lanyard), which will have “Do Not Disturb” printed on it. Next, nurses will verify the seven medication rights. Lastly, if nurses still experience an interruption, they will have a laminated instruction card with appropriate responses to aid in redirecting their attention to the mediation process.

RESULTS: The primary outcome is to increase nurse’s knowledge of the seven medication rights and interventions to reduce interruptions during the medication process to reduce medication errors. The secondary outcome is to decrease the number of medication errors.

CONCLUSION: Research shows that if interruptions are reduced during the medication process and the seven medication rights are verified, medication errors will decrease. Therefore, education to nurses is essential to increase patient safety and decrease medication errors.

Keywords: medication errors, interruptions, seven medication rights, adverse effects, patient safety