Policy on Medication Errors: Interview with Yasmin Henry

Policy on Medication Errors: Interview with Yasmin Henry
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Policy on Medication Errors: Interview with Yasmin Henry
In recent years, medication errors have been experienced across the United States. According to the FDA, more than 100,000 cases of medication errors are reported annually. Further, over 400,000 drug-related injuries occur annually because of medication errors (FDA, 2021). Recent estimates suggest that up to 251,000 deaths annually are due to errors. Medication errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States (Anderson & Abrahamson, 2017). This has called for a push for policy change within and without health organizations to reduce medical errors while improving the quality and safety of care, even from the corridors of justice.
Purpose of the Paper
In a recent case, RaDonda Vaught, a former nurse, was found guilty of gross neglect of an impaired adult and negligence homicide following a 2017 medication error that resulted in a 75-years old patient (Kelmann, 2022). As informed by Yasmin Henry, this case has prompted organizational policy changes to curb similar incidences in the future. Therefore, the discussion of this court case and its impact on the nursing profession is the first purpose of the paper. The paper also provides an opportunity to interact with the professional nursing policy issues of medication errors. This aspect forms the second purpose of the current paper.
Objective
Therefore, the objective is for the student to interact with a professional nursing policy issue as part of educational development and understand how the RaDonda Vaught has prompted changes within organizations.
Engagement
Yasmin Henry is a Doctor of Nursing Practice, a Registered and Body Certified Nurse. She is currently serving as the Assistant Director of Nursing at New York City Metropolitan Health and Hospitals.
Interview Lessons
The interview with Yasmin Henry can be broken down into two-three core lessons: an overview of previous policy and changes prompted by the court case outcomes.
Overview of Previous Policy
According to Henry, her current organization already had a policy to prevent medication errors before the Vaught case. The policy was implemented as early March 2013 and depended on a code where the MD could give a verbal. However, this verbal order had to be repeated by the nurse and later documented for future reference. Additionally, there was electronic documentation of the process, citing what was done and administered and on which each party involved signed off. This policy was deemed effective because it reduced the chances of making errors. By repeating the MD's order, the nurse ensured that the two parties were on the same page while providing an opportunity for possible objection or correction.
Changes Resulting from the Court Case
Asked how the court case outcomes impacted the policy, Yasmin said that "verbal orders are no longer acc...