Seema Lall
Long Island University, USA Network
Title: The lived experience of making a medication administeration error in nursing practice
Biography
Biography: Seema Lall
Abstract
Nurses are central to providing safe quality care to patients. Perceptions regarding how to build a safe environment for these patients in healthcare facilities vary among healthcare workers. It is evident through substantive research that medication errors compromise patient safety and lead to adverse patient outcomes in healthcare facilities. Making errors is a part of the human experience and nurses as human beings may commit medication errors, as do other health professionals. Research suggests that nurses who commit medication errors may be uncomfortable to report these errors for multiple reasons such as criticism by peers and/or superiors, disciplinary action or termination from their work. To enable a positive change, establish just culture and build a safer healthcare system, there is a need to reflect upon the processes leading to the error rather than blaming individual nurses who committed the error. Appropriate and timely action by healthcare organizations is warranted to provide safety for patients and rebuild confidence and self-esteem of those nurses who were directly involved in these errors. A more recent study emphasized the need for further exploration into the way undergraduate nurses learn to manage interruptions and distractions during medication administration and highlighted the importance of undergraduate nurse education to better prepare students for safe medication administration while facing interruptions. Another study identified support for professional development needed for nurses especially newly graduated nurses as they transition to professional practice. Research also reported supervisor support to be an important factor to promote a positive environment, particularly for the beginner nurses. Additionally, providing nursing students with varied simulated/clinical experiences, utilization of math skills for safe and accurate medication administration at all levels of the undergraduate nursing program is essential. This will bridge the gap between classroom learning and nursing practice thereby; prevent errors for safe and patient care.