Focus group discussions of registered nurses’ perceptions of challenges in the medication administration process

Abstract

Medication administration (MA) holds a great threat to patient safety, as MA errors remain a global problem. Nurses are key role players in the MA process and can give valuable information from the grassroots level. The aim of the present study was to describe registered nurses' perceptions related to challenges in the MA process. Focus group interviews with registered nurses (n = 20) in two central hospitals in Finland were conducted in 2015. Inductive content analysis was performed. Nurses described multiple challenges during MA, which made the process demanding. These were organized under five themes: (i) medications; (ii) collaboration between health-care professionals; (iii) resources and work environment; (iv) skills and education; and (v) patient-related factors. The MA process is prone to errors, and registered nurses described many challenges related to MA. While nurses are responsible for their various work-related tasks and the maintenance of patient safety through applicable procedures and effective collaboration, health systems and hospital management should be stewards of patient safety by ensuring adequate staffing levels and providing educational resources related to the MA process.

Unsafe medication administration experience in nursing practice at Public Hospitals of Harari region, eastern Ethiopia: Phenomenological Study

“…They have mentioned workplace conditions, like shortages of staffs, lack of cabinets for medication storage and lack of technology-aided medication administration equipment like infuser. This is supported by the study finding in two central hospitals of Finland (13). The similarity may be due to the fact that poor resource and working environment greatly affects medication administration practice.…”

“…Lack of good collaborations and poor communication among health care providers and clients were those mentioned as factors contribute for unsafe medication administration practice. This finding was supported by the study conducted in Finland, which emphasize the maintenance of patient safety through applicable procedures and effective collaboration (13).…”

“…It is found to be 54% in Ethiopia (12). A study shows different factors determine nurses experience of unsafe medication administration practice includes, medication, health care professional's personal and psychological characteristics, resources and patient-related factors (13) and the organizational approaches including culture, workplace condition, learning process and risk management strategies also contribute for unsafe medication administration (14) Health care settings uses different technologies to reduce errors (15) but, there is a much variation in the availability and accessibility of aiding tools helps to administer medication safely in resource restricted settings (16). Such variation can affect the frequency and types of errors (17).…”

Skill mix change between physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses in nursing homes: A qualitative study

“…All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and independently coded in Atlas.ti by two researchers. An inductive content analysis was performed, consisting of open coding, creating categories, and abstraction (Elo & Kyngas, ; Graneheim & Lundman, ; Härkänen, Blignaut, & Vehviläinen‐Julkunen, ; Sriyasak, Almqvist, Sridawruang, & Häggström‐Nordin, ). Two researchers discussed and compared their codes until consensus was reached.…”

Medication administration – nursing workload and patient safety in clinical wards

“…Studies indicate that errors occur at the ratio of one to four drugs administered and that the increase in the number of patients assigned to a nurse, the increase in the number of doses, the diversity and the form of drug presentation -especially when administered together -are among the main causal factors for errors (18)(19)(20) . The organizational structure of the nursing staff under study establishes the joint administration of drugs to patients that are assigned to each professional, as evidenced by the trays carried to the bedside.…”