Implementation Strategies to Intercept Medication Errors

Implementation Strategies to Intercept Medication Errors Name: Institution: Date: Introduction The increasing reliance on medication as the major remedy for illnesses and sicknesses the patients undergoing the medication therapy are exposed to numerous advantages as well as potential harm. Benefits in this case would refer to as the effective management of diseases or illnesses, improved patient outcomes, reduced errors if any and slowed progression of the disease. On the other hand harm would refer to as the unintended consequences and errors in medication such as wrong time, wrong medication, and wrong dose (Cousins, & Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. 1998). When there is inadequate nursing education on safety of the patient and quality medication process there tends to be a challenge facing the nurses in dispensing patients, delivering and administering of drugs in the right time and staffing inadequacies. Therefore, medication errors would refer to as any preventable occurrence causing inappropriate medication and or harm to patient while the medication remains under the control of the health care professionals, consumers or patients. Evidence-based planned change initiative to prevent medication errors in medical settings through implementation of strategies (Cohen, 2007). Problem statement Nursing profession has a long standing history in relation to patient safety major precept. However, there has been wrong teaching in medication error prevention through the five rights in nursing that appear to be goals and not procedures (Cohen, 2007). This undermines the responsibility and or role of nursing by focusing on the individual instead of the factors of the system. There has been a repeated mistake in the treatment chains where the last person in the medication chain is the bearer of the blame. The last caregiver in most cases happens to be the nurse who is the last person in the administration of the drugs. However, other caregivers in the chain could have made an error in the choice of medication or the time for the administration hence putting the life of the patient at the risk of harm from the medication errors. Project statement The project aims at implementing strategies that would help prevent medication errors in the hospitals through the evidence-based planned change initiative in ST. Marks Hospital. The project seeks to implement change in the system that would see reduced rates in medication errors hence promoting patient safety and quality of treatment. Objectives The project aims to reducing the occurrences of medication errors by the implementation of strategies that will intercept in the administration of medicine to patients and promoting nurse education on the importance of patient safety and quality. The project also aims at training nurses on their roles in the administration of medicine to patients in order to avoid the blame game where in most cases they are the victims. The ...