Nurses' Awareness and Strategies for Safe Polypharmacy Practices in Geriatric Care
Mapa Pathirannehelage, Piumi; Jayasuriya Kuranage, Anjali Perera (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025061823275
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025061823275
Tiivistelmä
Polypharmacy has emerged as a heightened concern in geriatric care amid the demographic shift towards an older population. It is estimated that by 2050, one out of every six individuals globally is projected to be over 65. The study aimed to describe nurses’ awareness of and challenges in safe polypharmacy practices in geriatric care. The study aimed to provide new knowledge on strategies and challenges associated with safe polypharmacy management in geriatric patients.
A qualitative methodological approach was employed in the study, and a descriptive literature review was conducted as the method. Articles were retrieved from academic databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and MEDLINE. Nine (09) articles were aligned with inclusion and exclusion criteria for the analysis phase. Inductive reasoning was utilised to analyze the data in the study.
The results of the study demonstrated nurses’ awareness of challenges in geriatric polypharmacy, which centered on two key aspects: nurses’ awareness of polypharmacy risks and nurses’ awareness of quality care concerns. Beyond the nurses’ awareness of challenges in polypharmacy care, the study further emphasized strategies for safe pharmacological practices in geriatric care based on two fundamentals: promotion of healthcare practices and promotion of nurses’ expertise.
Although nurses may demonstrate basic understanding about challenges and other possible complexities related to geriatric polypharmacy care, nurses still exhibit deficient skills in the actual medication management process. These deficiencies are multifaceted, including nurses’ inadequate identification of medication errors, high-risk medications, communication gaps, and medication management gaps. The incorporation of strategies such as patient-tailored care, patient care prioritisation, effective communication strategies, collaborative teamwork, nurses’ proper documentation, career-long professional initiatives for nurses, evidence-based nursing care practice, and comprehensive care planning contributes to promoting safe pharmacological practices in geriatric care.
A qualitative methodological approach was employed in the study, and a descriptive literature review was conducted as the method. Articles were retrieved from academic databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and MEDLINE. Nine (09) articles were aligned with inclusion and exclusion criteria for the analysis phase. Inductive reasoning was utilised to analyze the data in the study.
The results of the study demonstrated nurses’ awareness of challenges in geriatric polypharmacy, which centered on two key aspects: nurses’ awareness of polypharmacy risks and nurses’ awareness of quality care concerns. Beyond the nurses’ awareness of challenges in polypharmacy care, the study further emphasized strategies for safe pharmacological practices in geriatric care based on two fundamentals: promotion of healthcare practices and promotion of nurses’ expertise.
Although nurses may demonstrate basic understanding about challenges and other possible complexities related to geriatric polypharmacy care, nurses still exhibit deficient skills in the actual medication management process. These deficiencies are multifaceted, including nurses’ inadequate identification of medication errors, high-risk medications, communication gaps, and medication management gaps. The incorporation of strategies such as patient-tailored care, patient care prioritisation, effective communication strategies, collaborative teamwork, nurses’ proper documentation, career-long professional initiatives for nurses, evidence-based nursing care practice, and comprehensive care planning contributes to promoting safe pharmacological practices in geriatric care.