The Importance Of Medication Errors

A Medication error is defined as any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is under the control of the health care professional, patient, or consume. Therefore, any form of error that arrives within the healthcare system is deemed unacceptable. Now by understanding what a medication error entails, nurses are better able to place emphasis on how to prevent medication errors.
It is important to prevent as many errors as possible when administering medications. Hospitals that accommodate high numbers of medication errors receive less funding and support by fellow agencies. These factors can cause hospitals to increase in failure rates year by year. Failure to prevent medication

This can be done by always taking into consideration that when it comes to medication, safety is the number one priority. With this general statement in mind, there are always precautions and responsibilities that a nurse can insure that will guide them to practicing safe and secure drug administration. By following the Nursing Process for Medication Safety, a nurse can always be assured that they have legal backup if these steps are precisely executed each time.
The guidelines set up within the Nursing Process for Medication Safety are established to prevent errors, to prevent harm, or promote a therapeutic response. It is a nurse 's responsibility to adhere by these guidelines no matter what. However, if a nurse works outside the guidelines that are set for administering medication safely, he/she takes it upon themselves to abide by the legal consequences that the laws have in place for negligent nurses in healthcare. Nurses play the most valuable role when it comes to medication error prevention because nurses serve as the gatekeeper to medication administration. Kim Maryniak said it best when she implied, “As nurses, we are often the last “gatekeeper” in the administration process to prevent medication errors. It is important to take the time needed to ensure patient safety, and to minimize distractions throughout the process.” (Maryniak,

This is defined as the conscientious use of current best evidence in making decisions about patient care. Part of preventing drug errors and promoting health is assured by using suggestions manufactured to be accurate by evidence based practices. It has been proven that drug errors decrease when a nurse is free from all distractions. Data shows that interruptions are accountable for 45% of all medication errores. Our textbooks imply that “Creating a distraction-free environment is critical for medications.” Further research led to healthcare providers initiating distraction free areas within each department in order to allow nurses to practice safe medication administration. Nurses are highly recommend to use these sections within the hospital as safety zones to avoid drug errors. Within this safety zone there are elements designed to elevate correct drug administration. Such things like, adequate lighting, access to patients profiles, and a quite area to for nurses to dispense medications using the Pyxis