One proven solution to decrease medication errors is use of medication software such as CPOE. It has significantly reduced errors in prescribing, transcription, and dispensing of medications (Hidle). It also has the potential to decrease errors in administration due to unfamiliarity with a drug, drugs with similar names, or incorrect dose calculations since the software performs the calculations. So, why are these systems not used more often in the administration of medications? In general, there has been reluctance on the part of nurses to use software programs. It is not known why this is, but it is thought that unfamiliarity with the technology, lack of training, and lack of involvement in the design of the software has caused this reluctance. Studies have shown that when used medical software has reduced medication errors due to administration (King). One major drawback is the lack of willingness to use the software. This could be alleviated by providing better training with the software as well as including nurses in the design of the software so that it will be convenient and relevant for their use. Another problem is the cost associated with implementing a software system such as CPOE. Hidle has suggested that a possible solution to this drawback would be to create a software system in house rather than purchasing pre-made medication software. Also, it has been found that warnings in the software meant to alert medical staff about drug interactions, and contraindications were either not seen or even ignored. This would defeat the purpose of the software entirely. Similarly to barcodes, software that does the "thinking" for nurses could be a major drawback if nurses do not remain alert and vigilant while administering medications. Likewise, if the software performs dosage calculations for nurses they will become out of practice at it and may not catch errors that can occur with the software. Software programs are not infallible. It is important that nurses use their knowledge and expertise when administering medications and not become over reliant on software.
Reliance on any one method, such as technology, is not wise. Nurses must still remain alert and vigilant to the five rights even with barcodes or medication software to assist with administration. If I were a nursing manager in charge of an acute surgical nursing unit experiencing repeated...
Medication Errors Including Look-Alike Sound-Alike Drugs in an ICU People mistakes. This is true in every field and in every job. But in certain areas, mistakes can be costly, even deadly. Medication errors happen because sometimes staff at the medical facility or hospital see drug names that not just look alike, but also sound alike. Statistics point to only 0-2% detection rate of medication errors and prescribing errors. Although over 34%
Read the following scenario and then answer the questions that follow You are on your hospital's Peer Review Committee (PRC). You are reviewing Nurse A's practice. She works on the pediatric unit. In the past, Nurse A has practiced safely without incidents. However, four months ago, Nurse A gave immunizations to five pediatric patients (3 months, 9 months, 2 years, 4 years, and 5 years of age). She used a vial
medication errors by nurses. There are six references for this paper. Health care professionals are responsible for the welfare and safety of their patients. One of the most dangerous and preventable mistakes a nurse can make is a medication error. It is important to understand how errors occur, their repercussions and ways to prevent a medication error. In order to prevent a medication error, a nurse must first understand how it
NURSING Nursing: Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal to Reduce Medication ErrorsMedication errors have been identified as one of the most significant issues causing high rates of adverse patient outcomes in healthcare. It has set the healthcare professionals on high alarms since certain subgroups of the population are at high risk of fatality due to this aggravating concern. This paper aims to synthesize an interdisciplinary proposal plan for curbing this issue where nurses
Nursing informatics has been defined as, "a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice" (Shuler, 2011). The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in the information system development, from a feasibility study to the maintenance of the completed system (Rouse, 2009). With these
Nursing Case Study Case Discussion This case scenario is a classic case of professional misconduct carried out by Nurse X. The nurse did not have enough medical or chemical knowledge and therefore she made this mistake. It is common sense for any health care professional to realize that nasogastric or endoscopic route is very different to an IV route. All nurses and health care providers must be extra careful when administering to
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now