Klin Farmakol Farm. 2019;33(4):4-11 | DOI: 10.36290/far.2019.026

Medication errors at intensive care units: nurses‘ knowledge and attitudes

Pavlína Štrbová, Eleonora Dostálová, Karel Urbánek
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic

Medication errors are among the most frequent causes of adverse events in hospitals. They occur more frequently at intensive care units (ICUs) than other types of hospital departments.

Aim: The main objective of this study was to determine the level of nurses‘ knowledge about correct use of medications at ICUs.

Methods: A questionnaire regarding high­‑risk medications was used to evaluate nurses‘ knowledge, and the experienced administration errors were reported by nurses working at ICUs for adult patients.

Results: A total of 240 respondents participated in the research. As far as their knowledge, in 23 % was found sufficient and in 63 % relatively sufficient. University­‑educated nurses achieved an average grade of 1.86 while secondary­‑educated nurses achieved an average mark of 2.02 (p < 0.05). Less than 23% of respondents experienced medication error at their workplace and 5 % of the respondents admitted committing such error themselves.

Conclusions: While the knowledge of ICU nurses about medications is good, the reluctance to report medication errors remains apparent.

Keywords: medication errors, nurses, questionnaire, pharmacology, knowledge

Published: January 1, 2020  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Štrbová P, Dostálová E, Urbánek K. Medication errors at intensive care units: nurses‘ knowledge and attitudes. Klin Farmakol Farm. 2019;33(4):4-11. doi: 10.36290/far.2019.026.
Download citation

References

  1. Lisby M, Nielsen LP, Mainz J. Errors in the medication process: frequency, type, and potential clinical consequences. Int J Qual Health Care 2005; 17(1): 15-22. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  2. Fahimi F, Ariapanah P, Faizi M, Shafaghi B, Namdar R, Ardakani MT. Errors in preparation and administration of intravenous medications in the intensive care unit of a teaching hospital: An observational study. Aust Crit Care 2008; 21(2): 110-116. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  3. Manias E, Williams A, Liew D. Interventions to reduce medication errors in adult intensive care: a systematic review. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2012; 74(3): 411-423. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  4. Valentin A, Capuzzo M, Guidet B, Moreno RP, Dolanski L, Bauer P, Metnitz PH. Patient safety in intensive care: results from the multinational Sentinel Events Evaluation (SEE) study. Intensive Care Med 2006; 32(10): 1591-1598. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  5. Rothschild JM, Landrigan CP, Cronin JW, Kaushal R, Lockley SW, Burdick E, Stone PH, Lilly CM, Katz JT, Czeisler CA, Bates DW. The Critical Care Safety Study: The incidence and nature of adverse events and serious medical errors in intensive care. Crit Care Med 2005; 33(8): 1694-1700. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  6. Osmon S, Harris CB, Dunagan WC, Prentice D, Fraser VJ, Kollef MH. Reporting of medical errors: an intensive care unit experience. Crit Care Med 2004; 32(3): 727-733. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  7. Ofosu R, Jarrett P. Reducing nurse medicine administration errors. Nurs Times 2015; 111(20): 12-14.
  8. Likic R, Maxwell SR. Prevention of medication errors: teaching and training. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2009; 67(6): 656-661. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  9. Lan YH, Wang KW, Yu S, Chen IJ, Wu HF, Tang FI. Medication errors in pediatric nursing: Assessment of nurses' knowledge and analysis of the consequences of errors. Nurse Educ Today 2014; 34(5): 821-828. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  10. Institute for Safe Medication Practices, 2014. ISMP's List of High‑Alert Medications. Retrieved from https://www.ismp.org/tools/highalertmedications.pdf
  11. Kazaoka T, Ohtsuka K, Ueno K, Mori M. Why nurses make medication errors: A simulation study. Nurse Educ Today 2007; 27(4): 312-317. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  12. Valentin A, Capuzzo M, Guidet B, Moreno R, Metnitz B. Errors in administration of parenteral drugs in intensive care units: multinational prospective study. BMJ 2009; 12, 338: b814. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  13. Brady AM, Malone AM, Fleming S. A literature review of the individual and systems factors that contribute to medication errors in nursing practice. J Nurs Manag 2009; 17(6): 679-697. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  14. Bülbül A, Kunt A, Selalmaz M, Sözeri Ş, Uslu S, Nuhoğlu A. Assessment of knowledge of pediatric nurses related with drug administration and preparation. Turk Pediatri Ars 2014; 49(4): 333-339. Go to original source...
  15. Kim KS, Kwon SH, Kim JA, Cho S. Nurses'perceptions of medication errors and their contributing factors in South Korea. J Nurs Manag 2011; 19(3): 346-353. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  16. Bifftu BB, Dachew BA, Tiruneh BT, Beshah DT. Medication administration error reporting and associated factors among nurses working at the University of Gondar referral hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2015. BMC Nurs 2016; 18: 15-43. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  17. Wheeler SJ, Wheeler DW. Medication errors in anaesthesia and critical care. Anaesthesia 2005; 60(3): 257-273. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  18. Dougherty L, Sque M, Crouch R. Decision‑making processes used by nurses during intravenous drug preparation and administration. J Adv Nurs 2012; 68(6): 1302-1311. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  19. Tang FI, Sheu SJ, Yu S, Wei IL, Chen CH. Nurses relate the cotributing factors involved in medication errors. J Clin Nurs 2007; 16(3): 447-457. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  20. Malý J, Hojný M, Vlček J. Léková pochybení a zkušenosti s jejich monitorováním I. Prakt lékáren 2009; 5(6): 290-293.
  21. Ioannidis JP, Lau J. Evidence on interventions to reduce medical errors. J Gen Intern Med 2001; 16(5): 325-334. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  22. Page K, McKinney AA. Addressing medication errors - The role of undergraduate nurse education. Nurse Educ Today 2007; 27(3): 219-224. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  23. Bond CA, Raehl CL, Franke T. Clinical pharmacy services, hospital pharmacy staffing, and medication errors in United States hospitals. Pharmacotherapy 2002; 22(2): 134-147. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...




Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy

Madam, Sir,
please be aware that the website on which you intend to enter, not the general public because it contains technical information about medicines, including advertisements relating to medicinal products. This information and communication professionals are solely under §2 of the Act n.40/1995 Coll. Is active persons authorized to prescribe or supply (hereinafter expert).
Take note that if you are not an expert, you run the risk of danger to their health or the health of other persons, if you the obtained information improperly understood or interpreted, and especially advertising which may be part of this site, or whether you used it for self-diagnosis or medical treatment, whether in relation to each other in person or in relation to others.

I declare:

  1. that I have met the above instruction
  2. I'm an expert within the meaning of the Act n.40/1995 Coll. the regulation of advertising, as amended, and I am aware of the risks that would be a person other than the expert input to these sites exhibited


No

Yes

If your statement is not true, please be aware
that brings the risk of danger to their health or the health of others.