<
Back to Previous Page
Medication Errors And Syringe Safety Are Top Concerns For Nurses
The American Nurses Association (ANA) announced the findings of the 2007 Study of Injectable Medication Errors, an independent nationwide survey of 1,039 nurses. According to the research, the overwhelming majority of nurses (97 percent) say they “worry” about medication errors, and more than two-thirds (68 percent) believe medication errors can be reduced with more consistent syringe labeling.
“Registered nurses play a critical role in the health care system. ANA’s Code of Ethics demands nurses take an active role in addressing the environmental system factors and human factors that present increased risk to patients,” says Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR, American Nurses Association president. “Proper and consistent syringe labeling is one way to reduce risks associated with medication errors.”
The 2007 Study of Injectable Medication Errors was developed and co-sponsored by ANA and Inviro Medical Devices, It was designed to capture opinions, concerns and experiences about challenges related to labeling on syringes, which has been a Joint Commission recommendation since 2006.
Injectable Medication Errors
When asked about the point in the process medication errors are most likely to occur, the majority of nurses say either during the preparation and administering of medication to patients (48 percent), or during the transcription of the initial order (47 percent).
Nurses indicate the most common factors contributing to injectable medication errors are:
- Too rushed / busy environment (78 percent)
- Poor / illegible handwriting (68 percent)
- Missed or mistaken physician’s orders (62 percent)
- Similar drug names or medication appearance (56 percent)
- Working with too many medications (60 percent)
To help reduce injectable medication errors, the vast majority of nurses (81 percent) believe their healthcare facility should ensure sufficient staff is available for timely and efficient administration.
|
