Description:
This Australian study identified and described the incidence of medication errors among registered nurses, the type and causes of these errors and the impact that administration of medications has on the professional practice of registered nurses. Mostly, medication errors were attributed to documentation issues, including: illegible handwriting, misunderstanding abbreviations, misplaced decimal point, misreading and misinterpreting written orders. Several human factors were attributed to potential causes of medication errors, including: stress, fatigue, knowledge and skill deficits. Environmental factors, namely, interruptions and distractions during the administration of medications, were also attributed to potential errors. The study found professional nursing practice involving administration of medications had a strong education, patient and ethical focus. Over a quarter of the respondents indicated that further training in medication administration would positively impact on their nursing practice. The registered nurses also highlighted they would appreciate more time to spend with patients when administering medications. Medication errors are not the sole responsibility of any single professional group, therefore, collaboration with other health professionals is central to establishing processes, policies, strategies and systems that will reduce their occurrence. The organisation and those nurses employed within it share an accountability to ensure safe administration of medications to patients. Based on study results, several recommendations are directed towards preventing or reducing medication errors and supporting nurses in providing best practice.
Description:
This Australian study identified and described the incidence of medication errors among registered nurses, the type and causes of these errors and the impact that administration of medications has on the professional practice of registered nurses. Mostly, medication errors were attributed to documentation issues, including: illegible handwriting, misunderstanding abbreviations, misplaced decimal point, misreading and misinterpreting written orders. Several human factors were attributed to potential causes of medication errors, including: stress, fatigue, knowledge and skill deficits. Environmental factors, namely, interruptions and distractions during the administration of medications, were also attributed to potential errors. The study found professional nursing practice involving administration of medications had a strong education, patient and ethical focus. Over a quarter of the respondents indicated that further training in medication administration would positively impact on their nursing practice. The registered nurses also highlighted they would appreciate more time to spend with patients when administering medications. Medication errors are not the sole responsibility of any single professional group, therefore, collaboration with other health professionals is central to establishing processes, policies, strategies and systems that will reduce their occurrence. The organisation and those nurses employed within it share an accountability to ensure safe administration of medications to patients. Based on study results, several recommendations are directed towards preventing or reducing medication errors and supporting nurses in providing best practice.
Description:
Aggression within the health industry has been wideiy reported as a serious problem with registered nurses frequently being on the receiving end of physical, verbal and sexual abuse. Some authors have reported aggression is so prevalent nurses accept it as part of their job. What has not been recorded is the impact of workplace aggression on the professional and emotional status of nurses as reported by nurses themselves. This study utilized a phenomenological approach involving in-depth interviews and thematic analysis to gain insights into how 33 nurses responded to workplace aggression. Three shared themes, professional incompetency, expectation to cope and emotional confusion, which encapsulate the meanings conveyed by nurses to being victims of aggression were identified. The themes serve to remind both individual nurses and the nursing profession as awhole to become more aware of the impact of workplace aggression and its relevance for themselves, their colleagues and the profession. Thus, nurses should be educated through in-service or continuing education programs that admission to negative emotions is acceptable and to develop coping strategies that deal effectively with their feelings of anger or frustration. Perhaps the most important implication emanating from this investigation is that the profession as awhole should become aware of the extent of the problem and the role nurse colleagues, nurse managers and medical staff play in its genesis.