What processes do nurses use to catch medication errors?
The first part of the study examined what it is that nurses do specifically during their everyday jobs to prevent medication errors from reaching the patient. Flynn and her team interviewed 50 staff nurses from 10 hospitals, transcribed the interviews, and analyzed the lines of text for patterns and commonalities. They found that nurses take seven routine steps in the name of medication safety: • Conduct independent review of the medication administration record (MAR) in comparison with the medication order • Perform a focused assessment of the patient prior to administering medication • Question rationale • Prioritize face time with physicians • Encourage patients and families to be the last line of defense for a medication error • Advocate with pharmacy to ensure timeliness of medication delivery. • Clarify orders/handwriting with physicians Of these processes, Flynn and her team found that numbers 1, 3, 5, and 7 were significantly associated with fewer medication errors. Additionall
