Not just a checklist: Ethical, patient-centred use of the ten rights in Nordic nursing education

Abstract

Medication administration errors occur frequently, highlighting the importance of safe medication practices in nursing education. Various checklists, such as “Five rights” or “Nine rights”, have been developed to support the implementation of safe medication administration. However, the lists alone are not enough to guarantee medication safety. The Nordic Medication Educators' Collaboration identified the need for a more comprehensive and educationally grounded framework and developed “The Ten Rights” in medication administration. These rights aim to support safe, ethical, and patient-centred nursing practice by providing a structured yet flexible guide to medication administration. This article outlines the development of “The Ten Rights” in Medication Administration, how “The Ten Rights” were born, and how we see these rights as a possibility for clarifying the complexity of medication administration while providing a structure for healthcare professionals handling medications. Throughout the article, recommendations are presented for integrating “The Ten Rights” into nursing curricula across the Nordic countries to enhance medication safety and support professional accountability.