Date of Conferral
2019
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Eileen Fowles
Abstract
Medication errors are among the most common causes of unintended harm to patients and have led to many deaths. Some categories of medication errors include; medications administered to the wrong person; medications administered at the wrong time, through the wrong route; administration of the wrong medication and/or dose; and the omission of medications. Guided by the logic model, the just culture model, and the Knowles theory of andragogy, the purpose of the project was to determine if providing information related to evidence-based strategies to reduce medication errors would result in safer medication administration practices and improved patient outcomes A survey was administered to 11 medical and nursing staff at an outpatient internal medical clinic to determine their knowledge about medications errors prior to providing evidence-based information on strategies to reduce medication errors. After the educational session, a survey was conducted to determine staff members' retention of knowledge. A significant increase in the percent of correct responses to the survey from 68% to 100% after the educational session (t = -3.9; p = 0.001)) shows that the educational in-service had a positive outcome in increasing staff members' knowledge about reducing medication errors in an out-patient internal medicine clinic. Improving clinic staff knowledge and behaviors regarding medication administration has the potential to bring about social change by decreasing medication errors, improving patient safety, and improving health outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Obua, Uche Gerard, "Strategies for Reducing Medication Errors in an Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic." (2019). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 6638.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6638
