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Nurses’ Perceptions of and Experiences with Medication Errors

Maurer, Mary Jo
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1279243109

Abstract Details

2010, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, Health Education.
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between nurse characteristics and medication errors. The study examined nurses’ perceptions of factors which contribute to medication errors; barriers to reporting and factors that increase the reporting of medication errors; whether medication errors should be reported to the patient, family or an outside agency; and, medication administration technology for reducing medication errors. A survey was mailed to a random sample of 800 registered nurses (RN) from across the United States who were members of the American Nurses Association. A response rate of 49% was achieved using a three-wave mailing. The primary causes of medication errors identified were interruptions during medication pass, short RN staffing, nurses caring for high acuity patients, nurses working more than 12 hours in one shift, and nurses’ knowledge of medications dispensed. Approximately one-fourth of nurses reported they had made at least one error that had resulted in some type of harm to a patient in the past 12 months, while approximately 60% of nurses reported making one or more medication errors that did not cause harm to a patient. Rank ordering identified three major barriers to reporting medication errors: fear of consequences that may result if a medication error is reported, fear of blame if something happens to the patient due to a medication error, and fear of a reprimand if they reported a medication error had been made. Nurses perceived that medication administration technologies would decrease medication errors in their hospital. The majority of nurses overwhelmingly agreed that medication errors should be communicated to patients or families, as well as hospitals being responsible for communicating their error rates to the public. Results of this study have serious implications for individual staff nurses, nurse administrators, as well as hospital administration and hospital systems in terms of error reduction and patient safety.
James H. Price, PhD (Committee Chair)
Joseph A. Dake, PhD (Committee Member)
Timothy R. Jordan, PhD (Committee Member)
Jane Ransom, PhD (Committee Member)
200 p.
Nursing
nursing; medication errors; medication error reporting

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Maurer, M. J. (2010). Nurses’ Perceptions of and Experiences with Medication Errors [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1279243109

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Maurer, Mary. Nurses’ Perceptions of and Experiences with Medication Errors. 2010. University of Toledo, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1279243109.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Maurer, Mary. "Nurses’ Perceptions of and Experiences with Medication Errors." Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1279243109

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1279243109
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.