Intravenous medication errors in the emergency department,knowledge, tendency to make errors and affecting factors: An observational study

BackgroundIntravenous medication errors are common in hospital settings particularly emergency department. This study aimed to determine intravenous medication preparation and administration errors, contributing factors, tendency towards making errors and knowledge level of emergency department healthcare workers.MethodsA cross-sectional study using a structured, direct observation method was conducted. It was conducted with 23 emergency healthcare workers working in the emergency department of a university hospital in Turkey. Data were collected by questionnaires: Knowledge Test on Intravenous Medication Administration, Intravenous Drug Administration Standard Observation Form, Drug and Transfusion Administration Sub-Dimension scale, Perceived Stress Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.ResultsIt was determined that the knowledge level of the emergency healthcare workers about intravenous medication administration was moderate, and the tendency mistakes regarding drug and transfusion applications was very low. There was no relationship between education level, years of work, years of work in the emergency department, perceived stress level and sleep quality, and the tendency of making mistakes in drug and transfusion applications.ConclusionIt is important for patient safety to prevent medication errors by determining the factors affecting intravenous medication administration, tendency to make mistakes and knowledge levels, which are frequently used in emergency department.     

Medication administration errors and the pediatric population: a systematic search of the literature

Medication administration errors are a serious concern for the pediatric population. This article presented an overview of medication errors and safe medication administration practices. Additional information was presented regarding the pediatric population and specific factors that make this population susceptible to medication errors. A systematic literature search on medication administration errors in the pediatric population was presented. From the search, five themes emerged, including the incidence rate of medication administration errors, specific medications involved in medication administration errors and classification of the errors, why medication administration errors occur, medication error reporting, and interventions to reduce medication errors.Differences in study design made it difficult to compare the articles with regard to some of the themes. However, it was apparent that medication administration errors do occur in the pediatric population, regardless of the exact incidence rate. As previously stated, the NCC MERP believes that there is no acceptable incidence rate for medication errors. Errors in dosage were found to be a common reason as to why medication errors occur. There was some discrepancy with regard to medication error reporting, as it was found that medication errors are underreported, but the extent of this varied. Systems used to report medication errors also varied. It was found that the more detailed the information reported on the medication error, the more potential impact it had on leading to a system change to prevent such errors from occurring again. It is recommended that reporting systems be nonpunitive so that nurses are not afraid to report errors. In addition, more emphasis should be placed on near miss medication errors, as these occur frequently but are rarely reported and may provide greater insight into system flaws. Lastly, interventions found to reduce medication administration errors were congruent with current recommendations for safe medication administration. This calls into question if the current recommendations are being followed uniformly. Implications for future research and practice include that a formalized system check for safe medication administration be developed and utilized. System checks have been developed and are widely used during the prescribing and preparing stage, and less medication errors are noted during this early part of the medication process. Having a formalized system check during medication administration would aid in ensuring that current recommendations are being followed, which would lead to a decrease in medication administration errors.Parents and caregivers naturally expect that their children will be safe when in the health care system. Yet, providing health care will always involve some degree of risk due to both the complexity of the health care environment and the role that human judgment plays within it. Nurses play a role in improving the safety of children within their care. The role of the nurse is much wider than simply reporting patient safety incidents or near misses; it includes taking preventative actions, sharing experiences, learning from mistakes, and helping to devise solutions.     

Mitigating opioid errors in inpatient palliative care: A qualitative study

BackgroundOpioids are a high-risk medicine used in high doses and volumes in specialist palliative care inpatient services to manage palliative patients’ pain and other symptoms. Despite the high volume of opioid use in this care setting, serious errors with opioids are exceedingly rare. However, little is known about the factors that mitigate opioid errors in specialist palliative care inpatient services.AimTo explore palliative care clinicians’ perceptions of factors that mitigate opioid errors in specialist palliative care inpatient services.Methods and designA qualitative study using focus groups and semi-structured interviews.Participants and settingRegistered nurses, doctors, and/or pharmacists (‘clinicians’) who were involved with and/or had oversight of the services’ opioid delivery and/or opioid quality and safety processes, employed by one of three specialist palliative care inpatient services in metropolitan NSW.FindingsFifty-eight participants took part in this study, three-quarters (76%) of which were palliative care nurses. A positive opioid safety culture was central to mitigating opioid errors in specialist palliative care inpatient services. This culture of opioid safety was founded on clear and consistent safety messages from leadership, clinicians empowered to work together and practise safely, and a non-punitive approach to errors when they occurred. The clinical nurse educator was seen as pivotal to shaping, driving and reinforcing safe opioid delivery practices across the palliative care service.ConclusionCreating and sustaining a positive opioid safety culture, and promoting a non-punitive approach to opioid error and reporting, is essential to mitigating opioid errors in the specialist palliative care inpatient setting.     

The effect of a brief mindfulness-based stress reduction program on strengthening awareness of medical errors and risks among nursing students

InformationHealthcare professionals' awareness of medical errors and risks results in effective medical error reporting and patient safety. Mindfulness has positive effects on strengthening attention and awareness. However, little is known about the use of mindfulness in patient safety education among nursing students. This study aimed to examine if a brief mindfulness-based stress reduction program would have a beneficial impact on (a) medical error attitudes, (b) the number of medical errors and risks in a simulation environment, and (c) self-confidence and satisfaction among nursing students.MethodsA quasi-experimental design with a control group was conducted with 78 third-year nursing students at a private, accredited, nursing program in Istanbul, Türkiye.ResultsThere was a statistically significant improvement in the intervention group between the pre-test and post-test for medical error attitudes (p < 0.001), and the number of medical errors and risks in a simulation environment (p < 0.001). There was no statistical difference in the intervention and control groups for self-confidence and satisfaction (p > 0.05).ConclusionThese results suggest that a brief mindfulness-based stress reduction program positively strengthens nursing students' awareness of medical errors and risks.     

Medical errors: impact on clinical laboratories and other critical areas

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report (1999) stated that the prevalence of medical errors is high in today's health care system. Some specialties in health care are more risky than others. A varying blunder/error rate of 0.1–9.3% in clinical diagnostic laboratories has been reported in the literature. Many of these errors occur in the preanalytical and postanalytical phases of testing. It has been suggested that the errors occurring in clinical diagnostic laboratories are smaller in number than those occurring elsewhere in a hospital setting. However, given the quantum of laboratory tests used in health care, even this small rate may reflect a large number of errors. The surgical specialties, emergency rooms, and intensive care units have been previously identified as areas of risk for patient safety. Though the nature of work in these specialties and their interdependence on clinical diagnostic laboratories presents abundant opportunities for error-generating behavior, many of these errors may be preventable. Appropriate attention to system factors involved in these errors and designing intelligent system approaches may help control and eliminate many of these errors in health care.     

A comparison of medication administration errors from original medication packaging and multi-compartment compliance aids in care homes: A prospective observational study

BackgroundNo published study has been specifically designed to compare medication administration errors between original medication packaging and multi-compartment compliance aids in care homes, using direct observation.ObjectivesCompare the effect of original medication packaging and multi-compartment compliance aids on medication administration accuracy.DesignProspective observational.SettingTen Greater London care homes.ParticipantsNurses and carers administering medications.MethodsBetween October 2014 and June 2015, a pharmacist researcher directly observed solid, orally administered medications in tablet or capsule form at ten purposively sampled care homes (five only used original medication packaging and five used both multi-compartment compliance aids and original medication packaging). The medication administration error rate was calculated as the number of observed doses administered (or omitted) in error according to medication administration records, compared to the opportunities for error (total number of observed doses plus omitted doses).ResultsOver 108.4 h, 41 different staff (35 nurses, 6 carers) were observed to administer medications to 823 residents during 90 medication administration rounds. A total of 2452 medication doses were observed (1385 from original medication packaging, 1067 from multi-compartment compliance aids). One hundred and seventy eight medication administration errors were identified from 2493 opportunities for error (7.1% overall medication administration error rate). A greater medication administration error rate was seen for original medication packaging than multi-compartment compliance aids (9.3% and 3.1% respectively, risk ratio (RR) = 3.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.4 to 6.1, p < 0.001). Similar differences existed when comparing medication administration error rates between original medication packaging (from original medication packaging-only care homes) and multi-compartment compliance aids (RR = 2.3, 95%CI 1.1 to 4.9, p = 0.03), and between original medication packaging and multi-compartment compliance aids within care homes that used a combination of both medication administration systems (RR = 4.3, 95%CI 2.7 to 6.8, p < 0.001). A significant difference in error rate was not observed between use of a single or combination medication administration system (p = 0.44).ConclusionThe significant difference in, and high overall, medication administration error rate between original medication packaging and multi-compartment compliance aids supports the use of the latter in care homes, as well as local investigation of tablet and capsule impact on medication administration errors and staff training to prevent errors occurring. As a significant difference in error rate was not observed between use of a single or combination medication administration system, common practice of using both multi-compartment compliance aids (for most medications) and original packaging (for medications with stability issues) is supported.     

Medication Discussions With Patients With Cardiovascular Disease in the Emergency Department: An Opportunity for Emergency Nurses to Engage Patients to Support Medication Reconciliation

IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the level of patient involvement in medication reconciliation processes and factors associated with that involvement in patients with cardiovascular disease presenting to the emergency department.MethodsAn observational and cross-sectional design was used. Patients with cardiovascular disease presenting to the adult emergency department of an academic medical center completed a structured survey inclusive of patient demographics and measures related to the study concepts. Data abstracted from the electronic health record included the patient’s medical history and emergency department visit data. Our multivariable model adjusted for age, gender, education, difficulty paying bills, health status, numeracy, health literacy, and medication knowledge and evaluated patient involvement in medication discussions as an outcome.ResultsParticipants’ (N = 93) median age was 59 years (interquartile range 51-67), 80.6% were white, 96.8% were not Hispanic, and 49.5% were married or living with a partner. Approximately 41% reported being employed and 36.9% reported an annual household income of <$25,000. Almost half (n = 44, 47.3%) reported difficulty paying monthly bills. Patients reported moderate medication knowledge (median 3.8, interquartile range 3.4-4.2) and perceived involvement in their care (41.8 [SD = 9.1]). After controlling for patient characteristics, only difficulty paying monthly bills (b = 0.36, P = .005) and medication knowledge (b = 0.30, P = .009) were associated with involvement in medication discussions.DiscussionSome patients presenting to the emergency department demonstrated moderate medication knowledge and involvement in medication discussions, but more work is needed to engage patients.     

Medical errors: an introduction to concepts

The prevalence of medical errors in health care systems has generated immense interest in recent years. The research on adverse events in hospitalized populations has consistently revealed high rates of adverse events. Some of these adverse events result from medical errors and a majority of these errors may be preventable. These errors can occur anywhere and at anytime in health care processes. The consequences of these errors may vary from little or no harm to being ultimately fatal to the patients. It is important to recognize that a degree of error is inevitable in any human task and human fallibility in health care should be accepted. The underlying precursors for many of these human errors may primarily be attributed to latent systemic factors inherent in today's increasingly complex health care system. The focus of adverse event analyses on individual shortcomings without appropriate attention to system issues leads to ineffective solutions. The cognitive influence on medical decision-making and error generation is also significant and should not be discounted.     

Nix the Six: Raise the Bar on Medication Delivery

When compared with adults, pediatric and neonatal populations historically have significantly higher rates of medication errors. Recent driving forces have focused efforts on standardizing the medication delivery and dosing for this population. The Institute for Safe Medication Practice has drawn a strong correlation relating nonstandard injectable drug concentrations and increased medication errors. There are currently two methods of compounding continuous infusions for neonates: the Rule of Six, a method that uses the patient weight to calculate the concentration, and the Standardized Concentration method, where the concentration remains stable and the rate of infusion varies. Few issues have generated more controversy for neonatal healthcare practitioners than the mandate to limit and standardize available drug concentrations eliminating the Rule of Six. This article will provide an overview of the issue, exploring the advantages and disadvantages of both compounding methods, as well as describe current regulations and guidelines, available evidence, and resources available. The process for implementing standardized drug concentrations will also be discussed.     

Lessons learned: use of event reporting by nurses to improve patient safety and quality

The Magnet Recognition Program encourages nurse-initiated, data-driven quality projects. Using data gained from medical error event reporting has been cited as a strategy to improve safety and quality. This article describes a process by which nurses at the Children's Hospital Boston increased error reporting and used knowledge gained from event reports to provide education and implement practice changes. The medical and surgical units experienced a 35% increase in reported events and a decrease in the severity level of events over a 2-year period. Meaningful data from event reporting systems are critical in helping nurses develop interventions to prevent errors. The Magnet Model components are illustrated in the steps of this project.     

Point prevalence of patients fulfilling MET criteria in ten MET equipped hospitals. The methodology of the RESCUE study

Objective

The RESCUE study examined the prevalence of patients at risk of a medical emergency in acute care settings by assessing the prevalence of cases where patients fulfil the hospital-specific criteria for MET activation. This article will detail the study methodology including the ethics applications and approvals process, organisational preparation, research staff training, tools for data collection, as well as barriers encountered during the conduct of the study.

Design and Setting

A point prevalence design conducted at 10 hospitals, comprising of private and public, secondary and tertiary referral, ICU equipped, metropolitan and regional settings.

Patients

All inpatients were eligible except intensive care and psychiatric patients.

Measurement and main results

On a single day consenting inpatients in each hospital had a single set of vital signs obtained, their observation chart reviewed and followed up for MET activations, unplanned ICU admissions, cardiac arrests and 30 and 60 day mortality. Of 2199 eligible patients, 1688 (76.76%) were assessed, 175 (7.95%) refused consent and 336 (15.28%) were unavailable. Access to patients was refused in some wards despite ethics approval. Data collection required 2 student nurses approximately 14 min per patient assessment.

Conclusion

In conducting a large multi-site point prevalence study, critical organisational processes were shown to influence the access to patients. This study demonstrated the impact of variation in Human Research Ethics Committee interpretations of protocols on consenting processes and the importance of communication and leadership at ward level to promote access to patients.