Frequency and causes of medication errors of nurses in
Advances in Nursing & Midwifery,
Vol. 24 No. 86 (2015),
9 October 2015
,
Page 17-26
https://doi.org/10.22037/anm.v24i86.8454
Abstract
Background: Medication orders are an important part of the healing and patient care process. Considering the
increasing statistics of medication errors, a study was conducted to study the frequency, type, and causes of
medication errors of nurses in medical and surgical wards in different shifts of educational hospitals affiliated
with ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Science in 2012.
Materials and Methods:This is a descriptive study conducted on 218 nurses working at medical and surgical
wards of educational hospitals affiliated with ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Science in 2012. The
sampling method was stratified. Data collection tools were questionnaires. The data was analyzed by SPSS
18th version using descriptive statistics, two-sample tests, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation
coefficient.
Results: The average medication errors in one monthwas 31/6 casesper nurse. Gender and shiftwork were
significantly related to medication errors so that the average medication errors more in men than in women.
Furthermore Statistical significant difference was observed in the number of medication errors in different
shiftwork indicating that the average medication errors were the highest in the afternoon and night shifts. The
average of medication errors in night shift were more than morning shift while there was no difference
between the morning shift and the rotation one. Wrong time error was the most frequent one in the study.
According to nurses the most important factors in medication errors are high workload, lack of nurses per
patients in each ward, and fatigue.
Conclusion:Based on the results of the study, it's necessary for nursing managers to pay more attention to
logical proportion of patient/staff at different wards, reduction of workload and reduction of nurses" work
hours because these factors can lead to their fatigue and a fall in their concentration.
Keywords: medication errors, nurses, and factors
- medication errors
- nurses
- and factors
How to Cite
References
طاهري، الهام. بررسی نوع و میزان خطاهاي دارویی و عوامل مرتبط با آن در بخش هاي نوزادان و مراقبت ویژه نوزادان در
بیمارستان هاي وابسته به دانشگاه علوم پزشکی و خدمات بهداشتی درمانی شهید بهشتی، پایان نامه مقطع کارشناسی ارشد
پرستاري، دانشکده پرستاري و مامایی شهید بهشتی 1391
Baghery M, Valizadeh Nagemeh N (2006) [ Night work and its consequences on nurses' health]. Journal of Gorgan
Bouyeh Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery. 3(1) 43-48(Persian).
Baghcheghi N, Koohestani H R (2010) [The Comments of nursing educators about reasons and reduction strategies
of medication errors in nursing students in Arak University of Medical Sciences, 2008]. Arak Medical University
Journal(AMUJ). 12(4, Supp 1)1-8(Persian) .
Booker G M , Roseman M (1995). Workload and environmental factors in hospital medication errors. Nursing
Research. 44(4). 226-230.
Choo J , Hutchinson A, Bucknall T (2010) Nurses’ role in medication safety. Journal of Nursing
Managmement.18(7)853-861.
Cramer H , Pohlabeln H , Habermann M (2013). Factors causing or influencing nursing errors as perceived by
nurses: findings of a cross- sectional study in German nursing homes and hospitals. Journal of Public
Health.21(2)145-153.
Fleiss JL (1986) Design and Analysis of Clinical Experiments. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Harding L , Petrick T (2008) Nursing student medication errors: A retrospective review. Journal of Nursing
Education. 47(1) 43-47
Hajibabaiee F, Jolaee S Payravi H , Bagani H (2012) [The relationship of medication errors among nurses with some
organizational and demographic characteristics]. Iranian Journal of Nursing Research (I.J.N.R)6(20)83-
(Persian).
Ito H ,YamaZumi S (2003) Common types of medication errors on long-term psychiatric care units. International
Journal for Quality in Health Care. 15(3) 207-12.
Jolaee S,Hajibabaiee F,Payravi H , Haghani H (2009)[ Nursing medication errors and its relationship with work
condition in Iran University of Medical Sciences]. Iranian Journal of Medical Ethics anf History of
Medicine(ijme) 3 (1) 65-76 (Persian).
Kalra J (2004). Medical errors: an introduction to concepts. Clinical Biochemistry. 37(12) 1403-1051.
Lerner RB ,Carvalho Md, Vieira AA, Lopes JM, Moreira ME (2008) Medication errors in neonatal care unit. Journal
de pediatria. 84(2) 166-170.
Lisby M Nielsen LP, Mainz J (2005) Errors in the medication process: frequency, type and potential clinical
consequences. International Journal of Quality Healthcare. 17(1)15-22.
Mrayyan M T , Shishani K, Al-Faouri I (2007) Rate ,causes and reporting of medication error errors in Jordan:
nurses' perspectives. Journal of Nursing Management. 15(6) 659-670.
Nikpeyma N, Gholamnejad H (2009) [ Reasons for medication errors in nurses’ views]. Journal of Shahid Beheshti
Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.19(64)18-24.
Penjvini S (2006)[ Investigation of the rate and type of medication errors of nurses in Sanandaj Hospitals].Iranian
Journal of Nursing Research.1(1)59-64(Persian).
Prot S , Fontan JE, Alberti C et al (2005) Drug administration errors and their determinants in pediatric in patients.
International Journal for Quality of Health Care. 17(5) 381-9.
Raja Lope RJ, Boo NY, Rohana J, Cheah FC (2009) A quality assurance study on the administration of medication
by nurses in neonatal intensive care unit. Sangapor Medical Journal. 50(1) 68-72.
Rosen Robert k (2004). Medication errors: a 21st- century perspective. Health Care Research and Improvement.
(4)464-467.
Ross LM , Wallace J, Paton JY (2000). Medication errors in a paediatric teaching hospital in the: UK five year
operational experience. Archives of Disease in Childhood.83(6) 492-497.
Seki Y & Yamazaki Y (2006). Effects of working conditions on intravenous medication errors in a Japanese
hospital. Journal of Nursing Management. 14(2)128-139.
Shaykh Taheri A, Hashemi N (2007) [Patient safety: The importance of information technology].Homa –ye –
Salamat.18 ,18-23(Persian) .
Sheu S J , Wei IL, Chen CH, Yu S, Tang FI (2009) Using snowball sampling method with nurses to understand
medication administration errors. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18(4) 559-569.
Soozani A, Bagheri H, Poorheydari M (2007) [Nurses' perspective on causes of medication errors in
Shahrood].Journal of Knowledge and Health.2(3)8-13(Persian).
Stratton KM , Blegen MA, Pepper G, Vaughn T (2004). Reporting of medication errors by pediatric nurses. Journal
of Pediatric Nursing. 19(6) 385-92.
Taheri E (2012) [Study of type and amount of medication errors and relevant factors in neonatal intensive in
neonatal aneonatal intensive care units in hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti Unuiversity of Medical Sciences
(Dissertation)].Shahid Beheshti Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.Tehran(Persian).
Tang F Sheu SJ, Yu S, Wei IL, Chen CH (2007). Nurses relate the contributing factors involved in medication
errors. Journal of Clinical Nursing 16(3) 447-457 .
Tisdale J E (1986). Justifying a pediatric critical- care satellite pharmacy by medication error reporting. American
Journal of Hospital Pharmacy. 43(2)368-371
Unver V, Tastan S, Akbayrak N (2012) Medication errors: perspectives of newly graduated and experienced nurses.
International Journal of Nursing Practice.18(4) 317-324.
Wilkins K, Shields M (2008) Correlats of medication errors hospital. Health Reports. 19(2) 1-12.
- Abstract Viewed: 2557 times
- PDF Downloaded: 1814 times