Education based medication error prevention strategies

Abukhader, I., & Abukhader, K. (2020, January). Effect of medication safety education program on intensive care nurses’ knowledge regarding medication errors. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342070063_Effect_of_Medication_Safety_Education_Program_on_Intensive_Care_Nurses%27_Knowledge_regarding_Medication_Errors

Intensive and ongoing instructional programs on medicine administration and the errors associated, go a long way toward reducing the likelihood of future errors. The study looks into the viability of patient safety and medication error reduction educational program, as well as how it can help reduce intravenous medication administration errors. Nurses in the intensive care unit administer more drugs than their counterparts in the normal ward, however they may unable to record any drug side effects due to drowsiness or incapacitation in some of the patients, making this a major source of concern. Medication errors account for almost 78 percent of life-threatening errors in the high-dependency unit, raising the question of how feasible training initiatives would be to minimize this figure. The authors advocate for periodic medication error assessments, the results of which should be incorporated into instructional programs to educate nurses on areas of concern.

Zakaria, A. M., & El-sayed, S. A. (2017, April). (PDF) Safety intervention educational program to reduce medication administration errors and interruptions. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315617977_Safety_Intervention_Educational_Program_to_Reduce_Medication_Administration_Errors_and_Interruptions

The study objectively assesses the viability of mitigation methods in medical and surgical units to prevent errors in medical administration. It investigates the frequency and causes of errors, with interruptions being the most common cause. The authors of the study conclude that boosting nurses' awareness of medication errors, their causes, and how to prevent them is beneficial. Medication errors can be reduced by modifying the way nurses practice and behave when administering medication. This can be accomplished by rolling out information programs that address various approaches of efficiently administering medication. The study acts as a resource for nurses by outlining various educational initiatives that can help them improve their medication handling, resulting in fewer errors.

Miller, K., Haddad, L., & Phillips, K. D. (2016). Educational Strategies for Reducing Medication Errors Committed by Student Nurses: A Literature Review. CORE – Aggregating the world’s open access research papers. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/214070468.pdf

Previous research has proven that education programs interventions emphasizing a safety culture are beneficial in reducing medication errors. The study draws inspiration for developing safe medication error techniques from the five rights of medical errors as well as new inclusions, which however have resulted in few if any meaningful changes. This necessitates reforms in nursing curriculum, which should include initiatives to promote a safe culture incorporating evidence-based procedures. The authors recommend that more research be done into what criteria should be added to the five rights in order to improve their effectiveness as error mitigation measures. The study sheds light on educational strategies for reducing errors, particularly for novice nurses, using techniques such as simulation experiences. Educational practices that are well-founded are critical in assisting in the detection of errors before they occur.