What Were You Thinking? Medication Administration Errors in Undergraduate Nursing Students

Purpose Medication Administration Errors (MAEs) present a significant risk for harm to patients and healthcare providers alike, yet little is understood about how nursing students conceptualize MAEs. Similar risks for harm are faced in the aviation industry, yet they have transformed into a highly reliable organization (HRO) using the Threat and Error Management (TEM) framework. The purpose of this study was to apply concepts of the TEM framework to MAEs and identify what students believed to be “threats”, “threat management interventions”, “errors”, and “error management interventions” in the process of medication administration. Nursing students have not yet entered the professional practice environment, and must be competent for safe practice upon their arrival. Methods This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews. Participants were in their final year of nursing school. IRB approval was obtained. Results Participant responses reflected the trends of current nursing literature. More emphasis was placed on validating medication rights, utilizing technology, and following hospital policy and procedures. Little attention was given to medication dosage calculation, their lack of experience contributing to errors, or using a second nurse to validate a drug before administration. Participants expressed concern about a lack of exposure to errors while in school. Keywords: undergraduate nursing education, threat and error management, medication administration errors

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Alabama Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Sooby, Laura

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Graves, Ann

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hobbs, Jill
• McKnight, Douglas
• Lawson, Michael
• Schneidereith, Tonya

• medication administration errors
• threat and error management
• undergraduate nursing education

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US, English

Dc Identifier Other

1050456

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ir.ua.edu:123456789/13788