Creating a Culture of Safety Around Bar-Code Medication Administration

Abstract

Bar-code medication administration (BCMA) effectiveness is contingent upon compliance with best-practice protocols. We developed a 4-phased BCMA evaluation program to evaluate the degree of integration of current evidence into BCMA policies, procedures, and practices; identify barriers to best-practice BCMA use; and modify BCMA practice in concert with changes to the practice environment. This program provides an infrastructure for frontline nurses to partner with hospital leaders to continually evaluate and improve BCMA using a systematic process.

Now more than ever, nurses need to be involved in technology design: lessons from the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Their participation can ensure that healthcare technologies are properly adapted to the environment in which they are implemented and meet the needs of both patients and clinicians. Nurses are well positioned to identify potential solutions to workflow and usability issues; however, support of nursing leaders throughout healthcare institutions and educational institutions is required to advocate for their inclusion in technological innovation which can significantly improve technology usability, reduce workflow issues and improve patient outcomes (Kelly et al, 2016). The COVID‐19 pandemic has shown the need for technology and innovation in health care.…”

“…COVID‐19 is rapidly increasing our reliance on technology in health care (King, 2020; Morris, 2020; Weiss et al, 2020) and strong nursing leadership is needed to shift the organisational culture of healthcare institutions to ensure that nurses are provided opportunities to share their perspectives on the functionality and interoperability of all implemented technologies (Brown et al, 2020; Hamer & Cipriano, 2013; Kelly et al, 2016). Nursing leaders within institutions can create structured opportunities that allow for collaboration between technology developers and nursing staff through product development and user testing to increase the usability of healthcare technologies.…”

“…At minimum, initiating a transparent feedback mechanism between clinical nurses and technology developers, such as a built‐in chat box or dedicated phone number, is necessary to ensure that nurses’ concerns are heard. Moreover, a feedback loop would broadly facilitate collaboration between clinical nurses, organisational leaders and technology specialists to determine feasible solutions to shortcomings in technology being used as part of patient care (Kelly et al, 2016).…”

The Pivotal Role of Change Appropriation in the Implementation of Health Care Technology

“…In addition to the aforementioned outcome variables, this study investigates change appropriation’s impact on employees’ perception of change communication quality. Past literature in the health care field often demonstrates connections between change appropriation and increased risk, decreased patient safety, and poorer patient care quality (Kelly, Harrington, Matos, Turner, & Johnson, 2016; Koppel, Wetterneck, Telles, & Karsh, 2008). While this literature is sizable, the relationship between change appropriation and perceptions of change communication quality is unexplored.…”

Current evidence of education and safety requirements for the nursing administration of chemotherapy: An integrative review

“…Computer generated orders and barcodes provide a greater degree of accuracy to medication orders (Kelly, Harrington, Matos, Turner, & Johnson, 2016). Yearly audits of chemotherapy practices and medication errors provide an evaluation which highlights areas for change and improvement.…”