Category 2: Best Practices for Safe Medication Administration

Resource 1:

Afaya, A., Konlan, K. D., & Kim Do, H. (2021). Improving patient safety through identifying barriers to reporting medication administration errors among nurses: An integrative review. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07187-5

This integrative review identifies the barriers nurses face in reporting medication administration errors. The study outlines organizational, professional, and individual factors that prevent error reporting, such as inadequate reporting systems, fear of management or lawsuits, and insufficient knowledge about medication errors. It highlights the importance of creating a non-punitive environment to encourage error reporting.

By addressing the barriers to reporting medication errors, this resource helps nurses understand the importance of reporting and its role in improving patient safety. It emphasizes the need for clear definitions of medication errors and the establishment of supportive environments that encourage transparency. Understanding these factors can help nurses feel empowered to report errors without fear of retribution, leading to improved safety protocols and better outcomes.

This resource can be used by nurses and healthcare leaders to create a culture that encourages error reporting. It is especially helpful during safety training sessions or when reviewing hospital policies on reporting medication errors. By fostering a supportive work environment, hospitals can enhance the effectiveness of their medication safety programs.

Resource 2:

Alteren, J., Hermstad, M., Nerdal, L., & Jordan, S. (2021). Working in a minefield; nurses’ strategies for handling medicine administration interruptions in hospitals, a qualitative interview study. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07122-8

This study explores the strategies nurses use to manage interruptions during medication administration, a critical aspect of patient safety. The research identifies personal coping strategies, organizational challenges, and management-related solutions that nurses employ to minimize errors caused by disruptions in their work environment.

This resource highlights the significant impact that interruptions have on medication administration and patient safety. By offering practical strategies to handle interruptions, such as better organization of medication rounds and personal coping techniques, nurses can improve their focus and reduce the likelihood of errors. Additionally, it emphasizes the role of hospital management in creating systems that minimize disruptions.

Nurses can use this resource to develop strategies for managing interruptions in their daily practice, such as during medication rounds. Hospital administrators can use this study to improve workplace environments and create policies that reduce interruptions, ensuring safer medication administration.

Resource 3:

Soon, H. C., Geppetti, P., Lupi, C., & Kho, B. P. (2020). Medication safety. Textbook of Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management, 435–453. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59403-9_31

This textbook chapter discusses medication safety, focusing on common medication errors, high-risk situations, polypharmacy, and transitions of care. It describes risk mitigation strategies to address medication-related harm, emphasizing areas that require special attention to ensure safe pharmacotherapy.

The resource offers a detailed understanding of the areas most susceptible to medication errors, including polypharmacy and transitions of care. By providing risk mitigation strategies, it helps nurses identify and address potential safety issues in their practice. This comprehensive approach allows nurses to navigate complex medication management tasks more effectively, improving patient safety.

This resource can be used during medication safety training, particularly in high-risk areas such as hospitals with patients undergoing transitions of care or those managing multiple medications. Nurses can apply these strategies in their practice to reduce errors and enhance medication safety protocols.