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Medical Errors In Health Care Essay

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Every year in the United States, approximately 98,000 people die in hospitals from different types of medical errors (Tzeng, et al, 2013). A study done by Burroughs and Associates in 2007 found that 17% of patients in US hospitals were impacted by medical errors in some way. Among these medical errors, 44% came from a type of medication error. (Tzeng, et al, 2013). Blegen, et al (1998) found that the greater the number of patient care hours provided by registered nurses that exceeded 87.5%, the greater the number of medication errors occurred. This statistic indicates that nurses have a primary role in maintaining patient safety. Providing this safety proves to be one of the most difficult challenges of health care providers, specifically nurses. …show more content…

One method to maintain focus is to utilize the “five rights” of patients regarding administration of medicines. These five rights say that the right patient receives the right dose, of the right drug, in the right route, at the right time (Härkänen, et al, 2013). These rights help to ensure the patient is receiving their medications in the specific way they are prescribed to them. The patients may not be receiving all of these rights because the nurse may be busy with another patient or distracted with another situation. By following each of these five parameters and making sure each is met before giving a medication, the nurse can prevent medication errors. In addition to this, nurses should take the time to prioritize tasks and take on one at a time (Cloete, 2015). Nurses have much knowledge and skill. Generally, it is not that a nurse does not know what he or she is doing, but that they are very busy with multiple patients and are responsible for many tasks. By slowing down, thinking through actions, and taking the time when administering medications many errors can be avoided. Another way to limit nurse distractions while administering medications could be to make areas around the medication rooms and carts “no interruption zones” (Härkänen, et al, 2013). Medication errors can happen because of excess …show more content…

This background should include knowledge of assessments that need to be completed before and after administration for certain drugs. For example, nurses must know that blood pressure needs to be checked before administration of an antihypertensive, pulse and potassium levels must be checked before administration of Digoxin, and bowel movements need to be observed before administration of a stool softener. If nurses do not know these crucial assessments, a medication error can occur that can lead to many severe consequences that affect the safety of the patient. In addition to this, the nurses should also have background knowledge of adverse reactions of drugs, what these reactions entail, and how to fix these reactions if need be. An adverse drug event is what comes of an adverse reaction from a medication error and can be defined as, “harm experienced by a patient as a result of exposure to a medication” (CITE 6). According to Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (2004), “770,000 people annually are estimated to suffer injury or death in hospitals as a result of adverse drug events. One study of preventable adverse drug events in hospitals found that 34% of such events occurred in connection with administering the drug (a nursing role), as opposed to ordering, transcribing, or dispensing of the drug” (CITE5). This

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