[A training medication errors room: simulate to better train health professionals].

Abstract

Background: Medication errors (ME) could lead to severe adverse events. Hospital staff have to gain practical knowledge and ME preventing methods. Simulation is a teaching method more and more used in health system. The aim of this study was to create an error patient room which represents a factitious patient room with ME for health professionals of the hospital.

Method: Chosen according 3 criteria (errors already observed, "never events" related errors, errors associated with frequent issues), 21 ME were designed concerning the different steps of the medication process (prescribing, dispensing and administration) and took place in a patient room reserved for training. Seven sessions were proposed from april to june 2014. All health professionals were invited to participate on a voluntary basis. Training session was not time limit. An individual debriefing was done after each session.

Results: Forty-six health professional participated of 13 different hospitals' departments: 7 medicine residents, 26 nurses and 13 persons of the pharmacy staff (8 pharmacy technicians, 3 pharmacy students and 2 pharmacists). EM rate ranged of 33% (medicine residents), 50% (nurses) to 47% (pharmacy staff).

Discussion - conclusion: The training ME room represents an easy, useful and reusable simulating tool, to train health professional and to improve their knowledge's and practical methods. This learning tool is developed in order to provide patient safety. This successful study will be evaluated by satisfaction questionnaire. Future sessions will be programmed.