Barriers to Reporting Medication Errors Among Nurses in Paediatric Department.
Mahat Khadka, Laxmi; Akhter Happy, Helena (2025)
2025
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121637310
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121637310
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Background: Medication errors are among the most frequent adverse events in clinical practice, posing significant risks not only to patient safety but also to the emotional well-being of the nurses involved.
Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the barriers that hinders the nurses in reporting medication errors occurring in paediatric department and the ways to improve medication error reporting.
Methods: A scoping review method was conducted, for identifying, selecting, and summarizing existing literature to explore the key concepts, types of evidence, and identify the gaps in research on a broad topic. Searches were performed by using PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus databases. In the data collection ten articles were met the inclusion criteria, focusing on medication error reporting among pediatric nurses. Thematic content analysis was employed to synthesize findings, guided by Betty Neuman’s Systems Model, which emphasizes stress and interpersonal dynamics. Studies included if they addressed nurses’ attitude towards medication error reporting including the common barriers to reporting in pediatric department and suggestions related to improvement of medication error reporting.
Results: The results of this scoping literature review identified two main themes with various subthemes. The first theme concerned the common barriers related to medication error reporting among pediatric nurses which has four sub-themes, and the second theme explains the ways of improving medication errors reporting in the pediatric departments.
Conclusion: The barriers like fear, shame, guilt, and social pressure stops nurses from reporting medication errors. In addition, the fact that the medication error has happened with the pediatric patients doubles their fear, as the fear concerns the wellbeing of the child patient. A just and non-punitive culture is required within an organization, where error will be seen as a learning opportunity. Further, this study revealed various ways to improve reporting.
Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the barriers that hinders the nurses in reporting medication errors occurring in paediatric department and the ways to improve medication error reporting.
Methods: A scoping review method was conducted, for identifying, selecting, and summarizing existing literature to explore the key concepts, types of evidence, and identify the gaps in research on a broad topic. Searches were performed by using PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus databases. In the data collection ten articles were met the inclusion criteria, focusing on medication error reporting among pediatric nurses. Thematic content analysis was employed to synthesize findings, guided by Betty Neuman’s Systems Model, which emphasizes stress and interpersonal dynamics. Studies included if they addressed nurses’ attitude towards medication error reporting including the common barriers to reporting in pediatric department and suggestions related to improvement of medication error reporting.
Results: The results of this scoping literature review identified two main themes with various subthemes. The first theme concerned the common barriers related to medication error reporting among pediatric nurses which has four sub-themes, and the second theme explains the ways of improving medication errors reporting in the pediatric departments.
Conclusion: The barriers like fear, shame, guilt, and social pressure stops nurses from reporting medication errors. In addition, the fact that the medication error has happened with the pediatric patients doubles their fear, as the fear concerns the wellbeing of the child patient. A just and non-punitive culture is required within an organization, where error will be seen as a learning opportunity. Further, this study revealed various ways to improve reporting.