Running Head: MEDICATION ERRORS 1

Medication Errors

Catherine Whitford

University of South Florida

Medication Errors

This paper discusses the topic of medication administration complications. The

goal is to shed some light on what are some of the most common mistakes, the impact of

these mistakes, and the policies and procedures put in place to avoid them. For new

nurses it is crucial to firmly understand these concepts before partaking in these

interventions. Patient safety relies on the fact that each nurse has a firm understanding of

what drugs are being administrated, how the drugs are to be administered, and what the

patient should expect after administration. Although mistakes do happen, it is important

to understand what protocols should be followed in case of an event.

Common Medication Errors

Some common medication errors include administering the wrong dose,

administering the wrong medication, and administering medication to the wrong patient.

Not properly calculating medication dosages can happen if a nurse does not properly

transcribe orders, use decimals wisely, or re-check calculations. Administering the

wrong medication can happen if a nurse does not properly read labels and just firmly

relies on the appearance of a medication for identification. Administering medication to

the wrong patient can occur if a nurse fails to identify the patient before administering or

by caring multiple patient medications at once.

The common medication errors discussed above can be directly affected by the

degree of distraction a nurse is experiencing. There are limitations to how much

information any person can receive, process and remember at any given point in time

(Perron, 2018). A nurse can be bombarded with a variety of health care personnel as well
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as family members and other patients. Of all interruptions, 90% result in a negative

patient care outcome (Perron, 2018).

Impact on Patients and Families

Serious and sometimes fatal adverse reactions can happen to patient’s who are

victim to medication errors. Miscommunication or total lack of communication can

delay treatment after such errors are made. In some cases it can be a family member that

notices a change in status of a patient simply due to familiarity. This can be traumatizing.

Patients may also not report problems attributed to their medications if they are fearful of

doctors' reactions (Britten, 2009). Therefore communication can play a big part in

resolving complications resulting from administration of the wrong dosage, drug, or

administering to the wrong patient.

Avoiding Medication Errors

A nurse should always transcribe a zero before and not after the decimal point to

avoid confusion with dosage amounts. It is also suggested to double or even triple check

your work. Nurses should compare data to the MAR during calculation, preparation, and

once more before administration. Protocols for high-risk drugs, such as requiring a

second nurse to verify dosage, can also prevent such issues.

In avoiding administering the wrong medication a nurse should read the

medication label properly, compare to the MAR, and scan medication before

administering. It is also important to be aware of commonly mistaken drug names. This

information can be found on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

website.
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Using a minimum of three patient identifiers before administering medications is

a standard protocol for avoiding administering medication to the wrong patient.

Hospitals have now incorporated technology into this process by scanning a patient’s

identification bracelet as well as the medication before administration. Overall, the

integration of technology has potentially reduced medication errors by 80% (Perron,

2018).

Impact on Students

As discussed before distractions play a big part in the development of medication

errors. I believe as a new nurse it can be very overwhelming working in such a complex

working environment. I fear that I too might give the wrong dose, drug, or administer to

the wrong patient. I do, on the hand, have a few ideas on how to avoid these issues. By

making a daily plan, and prioritizing my patients, it will help to keep my mind on tract

throughout the day. I also believe keeping a separate notepad on hand at all times can be

very beneficial. This allows me the ability to write down quick notes while conversing

with patients, family members, and other healthcare personnel. Lastly, I think it is very

important to stay updated on new policies and procedures regarding patient safety.

Patient safety articles of interest to the broader healthcare community are often published

in high-profile general journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of

Internal Medicine, BMJ, and JAMA (Wachter & Gupta, 2018).

Conclusion

I believe this assignment has given me the opportunity to really become part of

the conversation in regards to medication errors. As a new nurse, just starting to

administer medications, it has certainly provided me with the awareness and steps to take
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in avoiding such events. In a perfect world there would be no mistakes but sadly we are

all human. That is why it is crucial to have policies and procedures in place to catch

them before they happen. I believe moving forward I will be able to properly implement

safe medication administration and patient safety.

References

Britten, N. (2009, June). Medication errors: The role of the patient. Retrieved from

[Link]

Perron, S., "Cognitive Load of Registered Nurses During Medication

Administration" (2015). Graduate Theses and Dissertations.

[Link]

Wachter, R. M., & Gupta, K. (2018). Understanding patient safety(3rd ed.). New York:

McGraw-Hill Education.

Winton, M. B., McCuistion, L. E., Yeager, J. J., Vuljoin-Dimaggio, K., & Kee, J. L.

(2018). Pharmacology: A patient-centered nursing process approach, 9th edition:

Study guide(9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.