Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Health Services

Advisor

Joanne Minnick

Abstract

Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) is a technology-supported nursing tool that has become the standard of practice for medication administration. When used effectively and efficiently, this tool has the potential to reduce medication errors in acute care settings. In a pediatric unit at a major urban hospital in the northeast region of the United States, the absence of a BCMA nursing staff educational module affected the use of this safety tool leading to an increase of medication errors. The purpose of this DNP project was to develop a comprehensive educational module to promote BCMA in the pediatric unit of the hospital. Two theories were used to guide the translation of research into practice. Lewin's theory of planned change was used as a conceptual model to understand human behavior related to change management. Also employed was Benner's novice to expert theory to define the learning process. The research question for this project involved whether a staff education module of BCMA would optimize the medication administration process and prevent medication errors. The research design included an expert panel that used a 5-point Likert scale to evaluate the BCMA education module for clearness, effectiveness, relevance and utilization in practice. Subsequently, the effectiveness of the module was determined through a descriptive analysis. Findings that resulted from the analysis of the evidence revealed 80% percent felt the education module will increase BCMA compliance and all agreed the education module would help identify areas of needed improvement with the current process. The social change of this study will impact nurses to deliver medications safely with the use of BCMA resulting in improved patient outcomes and safe medication administration.

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