Tariq R, Vashisht R, Sinha A, Scherbak, Y. (2024). Medication dispensing errors and prevention - StatPearls - NCBI bookshelf. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519065/
This article differentiates between the types of medication errors and predisposing factors. Factors of medication errors the author defines is lack of therapeutic training or inadequate knowledge, poor communication, and increased workload to name a few. Types of medication errors discussed in this article are improper dose, administration errors, and compliance errors, along with others. This piece of literature also defines root cause analysis and failure mode effect analysis further identifing causative factors of medication errors. This resource is an essential foundation for nurses to better understand the clinical significance of these factors and to help prevent future medication errors. This resource correlates with the safety improvement plan for identifying factors related to preventing medication errors.
Coelho, F., Furtado, L., Mendonça, N., Soares, H., Duarte, H., Costeira, C., Santos, C., & Joana, P. S. (2024). Predisposing Factors to Medication Errors by Nurses and Prevention Strategies: A Scoping Review of Recent Literature. Nursing Reports, 14(3), 1553. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep14030117
This scoping review article differentiates between types of medication errors, focusing on three primary types: administration, documentation, and preparation. Then defines five predisposing factors to error: organizational, knowledge and training, system-related, personal, and procedure-related factors as well as interventions. This article is relevant to nurses as it serves as a resource to further understand in-depth knowledge of factors related to medication errors. This knowledge ensures a strategy can be formed to prevent errors. This resource correlates with the safety improvement plan for identifying factors related to preventing medication errors.
Manias, E., Street, M., Lowe, G., Low, J. K., Gray, K., & Botti, M. (2021). Associations of person-related, environment-related and communication-related factors on medication errors in public and private hospitals: a retrospective clinical audit. BMC Health Services Research, 21, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07033-8
This article focuses on three factors of medication errors, person, environment, and communication-related. This study shows complex associations between these wide varieties of causes of medication errors. Person-related factors includes the healthcare professional managing the medication. Environmental-factors includes change of shift situations and the result of interruptions. Communication-related factors involve telephone orders or a situation where the healthcare professional conveys information in a clinical setting. Also as noted in this article the emphasis of involvement of the patient and family, this enables nurses to look at not only the error but all involved. This piece of literature is relevant for nurses to increase awareness of these related factors and the occurrence of medication errors. Nurses are able to use this tool to effectively engage patients and families in discussions about medications to improve patient outcomes and decrease medication errors. This resource correlates with the safety improvement plan for identifying factors related to preventing medication errors.
Fathizadeh, H., Mousavi, S., Gharibi, Z., Rezaeipour, H., & Abdol-Rahim Biojmajd. (2024). Prevalence of medication errors and its related factors in Iranian nurses: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Nursing, 23, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01836-w
This article based on a systematic review and meta-analysis study focuses on factors of medication errors such as fatigue, staff shortages, and workload. According to this article work schedule has a significant effect on medication errors. Night shift factors such as nursing shortages, fatigue, and a reduction in lighting contribute to the occurrence of medication errors. As well as pressure put on nurses to rush through tasks due to the stress of their workload can contribute to errors in medication identification and dosage. This resource is relevant for nurses to better understand and consider their work environment as a factor in preventing medication errors. This resource correlates with the safety improvement plan for identifying factors related to preventing medication errors.