Nurses’ error interception practices are associated with lower rates of nonintercepted medication errors, highlighting the role of nurses in enhancing patient safety, according to a study.
Researchers noted their findings also add to a growing body of evidence that a supportive practice environment is associated with a higher quality of nursing care.
"Nursing practices that identify and intercept medication errors not only benefit patients, they benefit a hospital’s bottom line," Linda Flynn, RN, PhD, FAAN, one of the study’s investigators and professor and associate dean at Rutgers University’s College of Nursing in Newark, N.J., said in a news release.
"Healthcare administrators should carefully consider available strategies to ensure supportive work environments for nurses."
The researchers found that more frequent engagement by nurses in interception practices was associated with fewer documented medication errors per 1,000 patient days. For example, for every 100 units of interception practice over 1,000 patient days, medication errors decreased by an average of 19.
The researchers noted that nurses’ error interception practices may include independent comparisons between the medication administration record and patient record at the beginning of a nurse’s shift; determining the rationale for each ordered medication; requesting that physicians rewrite orders when improper abbreviations are used; and ensuring that patients and family members are knowledgeable regarding the medication regimen so they can question unexplained variances.
A supportive practice environment was positively associated with error interception practices by nurses. Factors relating to a supportive practice environment among nurses in the study included teamwork between physicians and nurses; nurses’ opportunities to participate in hospital- and unit-level decisions; continuity of patient care assignments; continuing education opportunities; and the retention of nurse administrators who are visible and accessible, listen to nurses’ concerns and have high expectations of their nurses.
Study methodology
The study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative, was conducted in a sample of 82 med-surg units recruited from 14 acute care hospitals in New Jersey. RNs on the 82 units were surveyed, producing a sample of 686 staff nurses.
Data collected for the eight-month study period included the number of medication errors per 1,000 patient days and the number of RN hours per patient day. Nurse survey data included the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index as a measure of environmental characteristics. A metric of nurses’ interception practices was developed for the study.
The study appeared in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship. The study abstract is available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2012.01443.x/abstract.
More about the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative is available at www.inqri.org.
Researchers noted their findings also add to a growing body of evidence that a supportive practice environment is associated with a higher quality of nursing care.
"Nursing practices that identify and intercept medication errors not only benefit patients, they benefit a hospital’s bottom line," Linda Flynn, RN, PhD, FAAN, one of the study’s investigators and professor and associate dean at Rutgers University’s College of Nursing in Newark, N.J., said in a news release.
"Healthcare administrators should carefully consider available strategies to ensure supportive work environments for nurses."
The researchers found that more frequent engagement by nurses in interception practices was associated with fewer documented medication errors per 1,000 patient days. For example, for every 100 units of interception practice over 1,000 patient days, medication errors decreased by an average of 19.
The researchers noted that nurses’ error interception practices may include independent comparisons between the medication administration record and patient record at the beginning of a nurse’s shift; determining the rationale for each ordered medication; requesting that physicians rewrite orders when improper abbreviations are used; and ensuring that patients and family members are knowledgeable regarding the medication regimen so they can question unexplained variances.
A supportive practice environment was positively associated with error interception practices by nurses. Factors relating to a supportive practice environment among nurses in the study included teamwork between physicians and nurses; nurses’ opportunities to participate in hospital- and unit-level decisions; continuity of patient care assignments; continuing education opportunities; and the retention of nurse administrators who are visible and accessible, listen to nurses’ concerns and have high expectations of their nurses.
Study methodology
The study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative, was conducted in a sample of 82 med-surg units recruited from 14 acute care hospitals in New Jersey. RNs on the 82 units were surveyed, producing a sample of 686 staff nurses.
Data collected for the eight-month study period included the number of medication errors per 1,000 patient days and the number of RN hours per patient day. Nurse survey data included the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index as a measure of environmental characteristics. A metric of nurses’ interception practices was developed for the study.
The study appeared in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship. The study abstract is available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2012.01443.x/abstract.
More about the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative is available at www.inqri.org.
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