Nurses' and Midwives' Perceptions of Medication Errors in Children: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

This scoping review synthesizes the literature exploring nurses' and midwives' perceptions of medication errors in infants and children, with a focus on factors contributing to errors and barriers to reporting them. The Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for conducting scoping reviews were followed. Seven databases were searched for studies published in English. Two independent reviewers completed the screening; a third reviewer resolved disagreements. Data were categorized and synthesized into a narrative summary. A total of 1307 records were initially identified, and 34 studies were included. Only two studies included midwives as participants, neither of which reported midwives' data separately from nurses. Factors contributing to medication errors included insufficient resources and interruptions, with nurses' workload cited most often. Barriers to reporting errors included negative feelings and nurses' fear of losing their practicing license. Nurses perceive that medication errors occur in their workplace and hospitals likely have different protocols for reporting and managing medication errors. There is a need for further research in diverse economic settings and an investigation into midwives' perceptions to enhance error reporting and management strategies. This review emphasizes the crucial role nurses and midwives play in preventing and reporting pediatric medication errors. The findings also suggest administrators should address workload pressures, resource shortages, and cultural barriers. A significant amount of attention is needed on midwives' perspectives; integrating them into medication safety initiatives and policy development, which would strengthen medication safety practices.