Medication Errors In Nursing

Medication error rates, in a hospital, can be as high as 1.9 per patient per day. There are many causes and sources of errors which include "illegibly written orders, dispensing errors, calculation and monitoring errors and administration errors" (Mayo & Duncan, 2004, para. 3). Administration errors can be medications given to the wrong patient (Mayo & Duncan, 2004). Other error prone areas are patient with drug allergies, the charting in medication administration record, and high-risk medication or high alert medications (HAMs).

In the first article, the main focus is the cause of errors and what can help nurses to not make mistakes anymore. As a student nurse myself, I can relate and see the ways that these distractions occur. This article gave me an insight of what not to do and what I need to look out for. In Let 's do no harm: Medication Errors in Nursing Part 1, the article is more about the costs of medication errors and how it leads to the eventual loss of trust by clients in the healthcare system. It also talks about small ways that can contribute to making mistakes.

The nurse duty is to review the received medication from the pharmacist then administer the medication to the patient. Any errors that occurs in this management can lead to medication error. The ethic code for all these professionals are to provide safety patient care and protect patients from harm. Therefore, this project target prescriber (Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant), pharmacist, and nurses in medication error related to sound-alike and look-alike

Patient care is a complicated process with multiple providers requiring healthcare providers to constantly balance and process information in a setting where there are multiple demands and constant interruption. It has been discovered that poor communication handovers have resulted in adverse events, delays in treatment, redundancies that impact efficiencies and effectiveness, and low patient and healthcare provider satisfaction (Patterson & Wears, 2010). After surveying this 160 bed short term facility in Eastern Long Island, it was evident that end-of-shift report was an issue. This facility is known to have preventable errors due

(Claffey, 2018) The best way to reduce the risk of medication errors is to enquire about which orders wouldn't be appropriate to give to the patient based on their condition. (Claffey, 2018) In addition to successfully completing a physical assessment on the patient, the practitioner must also view the patient holistically, and always report near-miss medication errors. (Claffey, 2018) Given that nurses are the ones administering the medication, they should be able to justify as to why the patient is receiving the drug and if it is safe for the patient to be given that specific dosage. (Claffey, 2018) As technology evolves, having an electronic entry for medication may perhaps help reduce the risk of many errors in a busy environment. (Claffey,

“Fall risk assessment and post fall assessment are two very different and distinct approaches for falls prevention” ( Boltz, 2012). Knowing why the fall has occurred is crucial information to know. If you can do a post fall assessment and learn the underlying cause the nurse can create a care plan individualized and appropriate for each client. “The PFA is a comprehensive, yet fall-focused history and physical examination of the present problem (falling), coupled with a functional assessment, review of past medical problems, and medications. Clinical fall prevention guidelines are very clear about all of the necessary components for inclusion for patients who have fallen, which include fall history; fall circumstance; medical problems; medication review; Mobility assessment; vision assessment; neurological examination, including mental status; and cardiovascular assessment” (Boltz,

(Joint Commissions, 2014).It is important for nurses to explain how to use the call light to the elderly patients, and also to ask for help before getting out of bed. Vulnerable patients should be placed close to the nursing station for close monitoring. It is very important to educate health care workers on the approaches used to prevent falls. The measures used to prevent falls in the elderly could include; carrying out a risk assessment during admission, placing colorful stickers outside their doors, stopping the use of psychotropic medications, teaching them the best way to use their assistive device, placing their call light and belonging within their reach, placing their beds in the lowest position with brakes /wheels locked at all times, removing throw rugs from their surroundings, making sure that they are wearing non-skid shoes/socks before ambulating and also giving them their prescribed Vitamin D supplement as well as encouraging them on the use of their corrective glasses or hearing aids. It is very important to educate health care workers on the approaches used to prevent

Patient Abuse One of the most sensitive issues in health care is patient mishandling or abuse. Mishandling is the maltreatment and negligence of a person under medical organizations or at home. Some of the many types of ill-treatment include but not limited to physical, mental, curative and monetary abuse. According to the USA Today review, more than 5000 assisted living facilities were hazards for the elderly while they should be safe places for them. The report conducted between 2000 and 2002 found that there were significant medication errors as well as poor staffing (training).

In this particular situation, I can conclude that Mrs. Jo could have had a better approach regarding her phobia and her level of anxiety, from the onset of her pre-assessment with Mr. Tom. Preoperative premedication as midazolam could be a better option for Mrs. Jo's scenario in conjunction with the application of EMLA cream on the venipuncture site to reduce the pain stimulus. The pre-operative assessment and planning should be performed mostly by staff with nursing background (Institute for Innovation and Improvement 2008). The anaesthetic nurse practitioner involvement during the pre-assessment should be taken in consideration in order to ensure that all the patients are well prepared and fully informed before their

It was found that 61 percent had anxiety about future errors, 44 percent demonstrated a loss of confidence, 42 percent had sleeping difficulties and reduced job satisfaction, and for 13 percent of the physicians in this study, their reputation was harmed (Boyle). Other studies have suggested that medical errors can increase a physician’s risk of depression, substance abuse, suicide, and also post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Also, it can cost a patient’s life and the hospital thousands of dollars. Therefore, all medication errors must be reported following the appropriate protocol to prevent serious adverse events.” Although there are some consequences to each medication error, it is imperative to report it in order to improve patient care and safety. Medication errors can significantly affect patient safety (Elden & Ismail 2016). Medication errors do not only occur during the administration stage, they can occur from the ordering and down to the provision stage (Radley,

Accordingly, all health care providers should have education on opioid dependence to avoid such addictions. I would use this scholarly journal in my essay with quotes from the section titled “Significance of Research”. These quotes would help with my argument that the topic of opioid abuse needs to be better researched. For example, “Patients may begin nonmedical use of opioids due to

In my facility, the safety of our patients is our top priority. We use a set of interventions using clinical indications to ensure the safety of patients with indwelling catheters. These indications are strict intake and output (I&O), patients monitored for acute renal insufficiency or failure, sedated patients with critical illness, and neurological patients monitored for syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) or diabetes insipidus. Patients suffering from acute urinary retention, or bladder outlet obstruction with the inability to void, as well as select surgical patients, are also indicated. Indwelling catheters are also used in assisting the healing of open sacral or perineal wounds in incontinent patients with a stage III or IV pressure ulcer on the coccyx or sacrum.

All interventions that were completed need to be included and who was notified as a result of the event. The details of all of equipment used in the event should be detailed even if it was not assumed to be at fault. The serial and model number of the IV pump should be written in this report. Any patient statements should be used with direct quotations and also be documented thoroughly. Doctrine of Respondeat Superior The doctrine of respondeat superior is law with the principle that a hospital is vicariously liable for its employee’s negligence which allows the patient/plaintiff to bring a lawsuit against the nurse, hospital, or both (Giordano, 2003).

If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated you may file a complaint with us or the Secretary of Health and Human Services. All complaints must be in writing. b. If it endangers the patient 's life or physical activity the request can be denied. If the patient is denied access to any part of their medical record, it needs to be noted in the patient’s record.