Nursing Role in Promoting Patient Safety: Medication Errors

This report examines the vital role of nurses in promoting patient safety, with a specific focus on preventing medication errors. It begins by outlining the core responsibilities of nursing staff in healthcare settings, emphasizing their commitment to patient well-being and quality care. The report delves into a real-world incident involving a medication error, detailing its consequences and highlighting the potential for patient harm. It further analyzes how medication errors can negatively impact patient health, increasing medical expenses and potentially leading to severe outcomes. The discussion also explores the challenges nurses face when dealing with such errors, including feelings of guilt and the strategies used to minimize future occurrences. The report concludes by reiterating the importance of nurses' professional duty to improve patient care and safety against medication errors, emphasizing the need for organizational support and the implementation of effective reporting systems. The report is a detailed analysis of the nursing role in patient safety, providing valuable insights into the prevention of medication errors and the promotion of quality healthcare.

Running Head: HEALTH CARE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
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Health Care and Quality Improvement

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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................2
The role of nursing staff.................................................................................................2
An incident based on medication error......................................................................2
Medication error worsen the health of the patient.....................................................3
Nurses dealing with inadequate medication errors....................................................4
Conclusion......................................................................................................................4
Bibliography...................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
The following parts cover a discussion on the concept of professional role of nurses in
promoting patient safety against medication errors. Medication error is a cause which harms
the health of a patient or a cause which leads to inappropriate medication (Cohen, 2017). The
following discussion is also highlighting the incident which was observed while promoting
safety of patient against the errors of medication.
The role of nursing staff
One of the major goal in the nursing profession is to improve the health and to
provide the better quality of care to the patient. Professional nurses are way more intelligent
and have a good quality of quick problem solving, action oriented and never ending diligence
(Finkelman, 2019). Against medication error nursing staff are generally make sure that they
give good quality of improvement to their patients with proper health care (Bennis, 2019). A
duty of core nursing is to keep the patients safe. A best practice among nurses in the
healthcare environment requires experience, education and techniques for patient’s safety.
Medication error is a big threat in the professionalism of nurses as it is against the actual duty
of them. It can cause the patient safety or maybe leads to a difficult situation from where the
health of patient can be worsen (Ruth, 2017).
An incident based on medication error
The treatment of hypertension and coronary artery disease indicated by the channel
blocker commonly called as dihydropyridine calcium. In 2016, a case was reported which
given a detailed of an alarming and overlooked medication error which involves a
prescription of amlopidine a brand name of Norvasc (Shea, 2017).

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An old female nearly at the age of 71 years was hospitalized for kidney injury and
high hypertension. When she was staying in the hospital she was receiving temporary
hemodialysis and some of the blood pressure medication were also adjusted which resulted as
she was subsequently improving. Several months later, she was experiencing worsen fatigue,
personality changes as it became weaker day by day, slow movements and uncontrolled
blood pressure. Such type of illnesses hospitalized her once again where she was diagnosed
with depression and anxiety issues. Soon after that she was hospitalized third time due to
light-headedness (Shea, 2017).
After the complete researched of patient file was done by the third doctor where she
was hospitalized, revealed that instead of Norvasc the patient was actually taking thiothixene,
which is an antipsychotic. It was also revealed that instead of the written prescription by the
doctor the pharmacy had accidently pass out the wrong medication. It examine that
medication error can significantly occur with several areas of the health care system (Shea,
2017).
Medication error worsen the health of the patient
Medication error harms the health of the patient due to which a patient has to suffer
with lot of inconvenience. Despite of many facts, if a nurse makes a mistake while caring of a
patient then it will automatically symbolizes a huge dropdown effect on nursing profession. A
medication error affects the patient safety and the cost of the treatment and result in hazards
for patients and their families. It can leads to an adverse outcomes including medical
expenses, duration of hospitalization and mortality rate (Nurs, 2013).
It considered as the global problem. In some of the cases it causes rashes, itching, and
skin disfigurement. And in many cases it leads to an injury or death. There are some
possibilities that the patient or their family could also filed the case against the nursing staff

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or maybe to the healthcare institution where the staff employed by which the hospitals deal
with settlement cost and legal counsel (Shore, 2018).
Nurses dealing with inadequate medication errors
Nurses who give the wrong medication to the patients could suffer from self-doubt,
embarrassment and guilt. One of the research found that only 2% of the nursing staff
informed the patient family about the medication error (Shore, 2018).
There are many strategies that nursing staff use to minimize the future medication
errors. At the level of organization, it is the responsibility of management to develop a safe
culture for the patients and make a new reporting system in the workplace (Carol, 2017). To
improve the quality care of the patient nursing manager must implement the proper
administration (MSN, 2018).
Conclusion
In order to conclude the above discussion, one can state that medication error worsen
the health of the patient by which he has to suffer with lot of inconvenience. Therefore it is
the duty of the professional nurses to improve the quality of the patient and provide better
care against medication errors.

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Bibliography
Bennis, W. G. (2019). The role of Nurses. USA: American Nurses Foundation.
Carol, H. K. (2017). Professional Issues in Nursing: Challenges and Opportunities.
Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
Cohen, M. R. (2017). Medication Errors. Pennsylvania: American Pharmacist Association.
Finkelman, A. (2019). Professional Nursing Concepts. USA: Jones & Barlett Learning .
MSN, R. Z. (2018, July 25). Simple steps to reduce medication errors. Retrieved April 14,
2020, from nursing centre: https://www.nursingcenter.com/journalarticle?
Article_ID=3603336&Journal_ID=54016&Issue_ID=3603170
Nurs, I. J. (2013, June 19). Types and causes of medication errors from nurse's viewpoint.
Retrieved April 14, 2020, from PMC:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3748543/
Ruth, T. (2017). The Essential of Nursing Leadership. Los Angeles: Sage Publication.
Shea, T. O. (2017, August 8). 5 Interesting Medication Case Reports - Part 5. Retrieved
April 14, 2020, from Pharmacy times:
https://www.pharmacytimes.com/contributor/timothy-o-shea/2017/08/5-interesting-
medication-case-reports---part-5
Shore, R. W. (2018, November 19). IMPACT OF MEDICATION ERRORS ON PATIENTS,
HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND HOSPITALS. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from
QLICKSMART: https://www.qlicksmart.com/impact-medication-errors/