Nurses' perspectives on medication errors and prevention strategies in residential aged care facilities through a national survey

Background

Medication errors are common in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) due to several factors. Effective medication management is essential to prevent medication errors among older people particularly due to the complexity of co-morbidities they can experience.

Objectives

This study aimed to examine and quantify the contributing factors of medication errors from nurses' perspectives and the prevention strategies to reduce medication errors among older adults living in RACFs.

Methods

A survey with 140 completed responses from registered nurses (RNs) and endorsed enrolled nurses (EENs) working in RACFs across Australia were included in the study. The survey had 24 items, related to contributing factors of medication errors, and the prevention strategies. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis were used in the data analysis process.

Results

The study identified medication errors are caused by contributing factors such as use of agency staffing (70.4%) and delays in receipt of laboratory results (94.3%). However, it also identified suggestions to reduce medication errors in RACFs, for example use of electronic alerts (88.3%), and efficient laboratory communication (91.8%). Our results revealed three key factors for causes (workload, interprofessional involvement and interruptions) and suggestions (medication safety alerts, medication process improvement and effective reporting).

Conclusion

Medication errors in RACFs are a global problem being one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The knowledge and awareness of the factors associated with medication errors and the prevention strategies can guide potential quality improvement plans and contribute to minimisation of risk associated with medication safety in RACFs.

Implications for practice

The study recommends strategies for best practices in medication management such as interprofessional collaboration, implementing standardised policies and electronic alerts to reduce medication errors in RACFs.