Evaluation of patient safety in medication administration at M.P Shah Hospital critical care unit

Abstract

Drugs are substances intended for use in diagnosis, cure or prevention of disease. Medications are among the most frequently used interventions to improve patient health. The complexity of medication use and management process in in - patient setting creates a significant risk for hospitalized patients. Medication errors are preventable events that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm. Common errors result from wrong dose, drug or route of administration. 98,000 people die per yea r due to preventable medical errors and they cost loss of lives, carry functional burdens and can diminish trust and satisfaction in the healthcare system and professionals. Preventing medical errors and promoting patient safety and quality is important. P atient safety is a global issue affecting healthcare and is concerned with interventions needed to decrease medication errors and improve patient safety through medication administration. Nurses play a major role in reducing medication errors since they fr equently administer medication. The main objective was to evaluate patient safety in drug administration and prevention of medication errors. Cross sectional survey. Purposive sampling of 10 nurses was used. A check list was used to collect data which was analyzed using Statistical Packages of Social Sciences. Permission was obtained from the unit manager. The findings indicated that 100% of the nurses counterchecked physician orders, established allergies, followed rights of medication administration and e ntered legible initials on the treatment sheets. 60% signed treatment sheets immediately. 80 % educated patients regarding medication side effects. 100% of the nurses left un - administered medications at the patients‘ bedside. In conclusion, there is need f or assessment of medication administration for routine monitoring of safety of medication administration since patient safety is a global priority. There is need to train the nurses on importance of ensuring patient safety in medication administration to a void medication errors and adverse drug effects. Those medications that are un - administered should not be at the patients‘ bedside unless they are in a locked area