Introduction
Medication administration errors are a serious healthcare issue due to dangerous patient implications. The problem is the incorrect prescription of drugs, and the nursing staff is usually responsible for this violation. My interest in researching this topic lies in an opportunity to assess the prerequisites for medication errors, determine how to prevent this issue in the clinical environment, and review potential barriers to error-free drug administration. In my professional practice, I faced various reasons why medical personnel allowed such omissions, and both novice and experienced nurses committed violations. At the same time, addressing the problem is crucial since critical errors can cause irreparable harm to patients’ health.
Peer-Reviewed Article Identification
To find relevant academic sources on the healthcare issue in question, I have used Google. Scholar database, one of the largest repositories of peer-reviewed scholarly articles. I have applied such appropriate keywords as “medication administration,” “medication errors,” and “medication safety” and utilized a specific search filter to choose the sources that were published no more than five years ago. All the four necessary resources have been found in the Wiley online library that contains numerous credible and academic sources.
Credibility and Relevance of the Sources
All the selected resources are published in peer-reviewed academic journals. The four publications focus on the nursing sphere, including management and selected clinical aspects of professional practice. Each of the four sources is relevant because, due to the search filter, those articles have been selected that were published in the period from 2016 to 2018. At the same time, the information in the resources is still relevant since the considered problem of medication errors is an acute issue that has not been overcome so far. Accordingly, the articles are suitable for a productive and unbiased assessment of the findings on the topic in question and are credible.
Annotated Bibliography
Blignaut, A. J., Coetzee, S. K., Klopper, H. C., & Ellis, S. M. (2017). Medication administration errors and related deviations from safe practice: An observational study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(21-22), 3610-3623. Web.
The purpose of the cross-sectional observation study by Blignaut et al. (2017) is to identify the factors contributing to medication errors and associated deviations from safe and professional practice. The authors utilize a wide sample to collect data and determine the frequency of specific violations in drug administration (Blignaut et al., 2017). Specific contexts are considered as the drivers of errors – the level of nursing training, patient acuity, and other criteria.
The relevance of this article in relation to the topic under consideration is due to an opportunity to determine the factors that influence medication errors. As the key finding, Blignaut et al. (2017) argue that the overwhelming majority of error cases occurred in relation to patient identification, and numerous mistakes in dosage calculations were made. The patient acuity criterion increases the risk of medication administration errors, while interruptions are factors that reduce such a threat.
Hammoudi, B. M., Ismaile, S., & Abu Yahya, O. (2018). Factors associated with medication administration errors and why nurses fail to report them. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 32(3), 1038-1046. Web.
The article by Hammoudi et al. (2018) aims to identify the factors that influence medication errors, as well as the reasons why nursing staff fail to report them. As a target audience, nurses are involved, who are offered to answer questions related to the topic of improper drug administration. A number of factors are assessed, including inter-professional interactions among employees, high workload, teamwork, and other aspects of professional activities.
Utilizing this study as a part of the current analysis is a valuable measure because, in the article by Hammoudi et al. (2018), nurses are involved as a sample, which allows obtaining unbiased data about a specific problem from stakeholders. As a measure to reduce the number of medication errors, the authors propose to increase teamwork (Hammoudi et al., 2018). In addition, the use of modern healthcare equipment is suggested to minimize the human factor.
Härkänen, M., Saano, S., & Vehviläinen‐Julkunen, K. (2017). Using incident reports to inform the prevention of medication administration errors. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(21-22), 3486-3499. Web.
In their qualitative study, Härkänen et al. (2017) aim to determine how medication errors can be prevented and propose to evaluate the effectiveness of incident reports as potentially valuable tools. As the dimensions of the assessment, three interested parties are considered – individuals, nursing teams, and healthcare organizations. Incident reports are offered as reporting components that serve as self-monitoring aids and may help nurses control their immediate duties, including drug administration.
The objectivity of applying this research in the analysis of the topic of medication errors is due to real proposals for improving the current situation. As a conclusion, Härkänen et al. (2017) state that nurses should be focused on immediate responsibilities to avoid mistakes. Effective collaboration and self-control are also seen as significant factors in reducing the risks of severe violations associated with inappropriate drug administration.
Yung, H. P., Yu, S., Chu, C., Hou, I. C., & Tang, F. I. (2016). Nurses’ attitudes and perceived barriers to the reporting of medication administration errors. Journal of Nursing Management, 24(5), 580-588. Web.
Yung et al. (2016) set out to find out what barriers may impede proper medication administration and why nursing staff may have difficulties in reporting their work outcomes. The researchers study the experience of individual specialists and their positions regarding the improvement of these aspects of activity (Yung et al., 2016). The understanding of the factors contributing to making mistakes is seen as a crucial step in overcoming this healthcare issue.
This article makes it possible to assess the barriers in overcoming the problem of medication errors from the standpoints of nurses themselves. This resource may be utilized as a valuable source that contains opinions from immediate stakeholders. According to the study results, healthcare personnel evaluates reporting as a driver that can lead to punishment, and the fear of responsibility is a key barrier to proper drug administration.
Summary
Based on the results of the annotated bibliography, the problem of medication errors is acute in the healthcare environment. Many researchers agree that reporting, effective teamwork, and focusing on immediate responsibilities are potential incentives to improve the current situation. The selected resources have expanded my understanding of the issue and allowed me to review different positions and opinions. Using patients and nurses as a sample is a productive research mechanism to assess different perspectives on the problem.