Improving medication safety in a nursing home: Implementation of error reduction strategies among practical nurses : Research Thesis
Viriththamulla Gamage, Sanduni Prabha (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025093025419
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025093025419
Tiivistelmä
Medication errors have been identified as a major patient safety issue in nursing home care, especially among the elderly population that often requires complex medication management. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of medication errors and the perceived effectiveness of existing error reduction strategies among practical nurses in a nursing home setting.
The objective of this work was to investigate the prevalence of medication errors among practical nurses and evaluate the effectiveness of current error reduction strategies in a Finnish nursing home setting. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 22 practical nurses using a structured questionnaire that examined medication error frequency, existing safety practices, and perceived effectiveness of various error reduction strategies. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis to identify patterns and relationships between variables.
The results showed that 68% of the participants reported having made at least one medication error in the past six months. The most common types of errors were related to medication timing (41%) and incorrect dosage calculation (32%). The most effective error reduction strategies, according to the participants, were medication reconciliation (86% rated as effective), standardized protocols (78%), and increased staff training (73%).
The conclusion indicate that medication errors are a common issue in nursing home and that structured implementation of evidence-based error reduction strategies has excellent potential for improving patient safety. The study highlights the importance of providing adequate staff training, implementing of standardized procedures, and maintaining ongoing quality improvement measures to minimize medication errors and enhance patient safety.
The objective of this work was to investigate the prevalence of medication errors among practical nurses and evaluate the effectiveness of current error reduction strategies in a Finnish nursing home setting. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 22 practical nurses using a structured questionnaire that examined medication error frequency, existing safety practices, and perceived effectiveness of various error reduction strategies. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis to identify patterns and relationships between variables.
The results showed that 68% of the participants reported having made at least one medication error in the past six months. The most common types of errors were related to medication timing (41%) and incorrect dosage calculation (32%). The most effective error reduction strategies, according to the participants, were medication reconciliation (86% rated as effective), standardized protocols (78%), and increased staff training (73%).
The conclusion indicate that medication errors are a common issue in nursing home and that structured implementation of evidence-based error reduction strategies has excellent potential for improving patient safety. The study highlights the importance of providing adequate staff training, implementing of standardized procedures, and maintaining ongoing quality improvement measures to minimize medication errors and enhance patient safety.