Medication Administration Errors and Barriers to Reporting: Critical Care Nurses' Point of View

Abstract

Medication administration errors (MAEs) are a common cause of harm and death in the healthcare sector. These errors not only compromise patient safety but also cost a lot of money around the world. Nurses must report MAEs so that healthcare systems can identify the causes and take preventative measures. This study aims to explore the causes of medication administration errors and barriers to reporting from a critical care nurses' point of view. Method: In the current study, a descriptive research design was employed. A convenience sample of 60 critical care nurses from Mansoura Emergency Hospital with a range of educational backgrounds and at least six months of ICU experience participated in the current study. Data were collected using one tool consisting of three parts, part I: Nurses' socio-demographic characteristics, Part II: Causes of medication errors, and Part III: Barriers to MAEs reporting. Results: heavy workload was the highest possible cause of MAEs (93.33%) among the studied nurses. Additionally, fear factors were perceived as the highest barriers to reporting MAEs with a total score of 44.2±4.9. Conclusion and Recommendations: From critical care nurses' point of view, fear of consequences was the strongest perceived barrier to reporting MAEs. Continuous and effective education programs should be provided for all nurses about MAEs and open feedback systems are required for motivating nurses to report medication errors.

Causes of medication administration errors and barriers to reporting as perceived by nurses in Saudi Arabia: A qualitative study

“…In a similar study undertaken in Jordan that evaluated nurses’ perspectives about the reasons for drug administration errors and the obstacles to reporting them, the most reported cause was insufficient staffing (Yousef et al, 2021 ). According to another study conducted by Fathallah Mostafa et al ( 2023 ), the heavy workload was the most shared reason for medication administration errors. Similar findings have been highlighted by other studies, which have reported that a heavy workload is one of the contributing factors to medication administration errors (Alblowi et al, 2021 ; Brabcova et al, 2023 ; Hammoudi et al, 2018 ; Tsegaye et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The interview questions were formulated through a comprehensive examination of related scholarly literature and consultation with subject matter experts, taking into consideration the study aims. As the causes of medication administration errors were one of the main elements of the related literature, a question about the causes was formulated (Alzoubi et al, 2023 ; Brabcova et al, 2023 ; Fathallah Mostafa et al, 2023 ; Hammoudi et al, 2018 ; Tsegaye et al, 2020 ). Since the barriers to medication administration errors were another main element of the related literature, a question about the barriers was also formulated (Brabcova et al, 2023 ; Fathallah Mostafa et al, 2023 ; Hammoudi et al, 2018 ).…”

“…As the causes of medication administration errors were one of the main elements of the related literature, a question about the causes was formulated (Alzoubi et al, 2023 ; Brabcova et al, 2023 ; Fathallah Mostafa et al, 2023 ; Hammoudi et al, 2018 ; Tsegaye et al, 2020 ). Since the barriers to medication administration errors were another main element of the related literature, a question about the barriers was also formulated (Brabcova et al, 2023 ; Fathallah Mostafa et al, 2023 ; Hammoudi et al, 2018 ). During the interview guide development, the key questions of the study were prioritized.…”

“…A literature review expounded the diverse causes of medication administration errors observed by staff nurses. Various factors, including poor communication, heavy workloads, time pressure, deficiencies in medication orders, and lack of knowledge and training, significantly contribute to the incidence of medication administration errors (Alzoubi et al, 2023 ; Brabcova et al, 2023 ; Fathallah Mostafa et al, 2023 ; Hammoudi et al, 2018 ; Tsegaye et al, 2020 ). Staff nurses frequently confront high patient-to-nurse ratios, resulting in expedited medication administration and high susceptibility to errors.…”

“…Barriers to reporting have various causes, including a blame culture, fear of potential consequences, absence of robust reporting mechanisms and supportive structures, acceptance of errors as routine occurrences, and limitations imposed by time constraints. The fear of being held responsible for the deterioration of patients’ well-being, as well as the apprehension of encountering negative sentiments from patients or their families and potential legal ramifications, contribute to nurses’ fear (Abou Hashish & El-Bialy, 2013 ; Alzoubi et al, 2023 ; Brabcova et al, 2023 ; Dyab et al, 2018 ; Fathallah Mostafa et al, 2023 ; Hammoudi et al, 2018 ; Mohammad et al, 2016 ; Yung et al, 2016 ). Other barriers that impede reporting include administrative paperwork requirements and a lack of managerial support and encouragement (Dyab et al, 2018 ).…”