Posted: July 4th, 2024

Professional Reflection in Nursing: Improving Medication Administration Safety in Specialty Practic

Professional Reflection in Nursing: Improving Medication Administration Safety in Specialty Practice

Objectives:
This assignment aims to:
1. Identify a clinical issue in specialty nursing practice requiring improvement
2. Apply a reflective model to analyse the identified issue
3. Critically review relevant literature on the topic
4. Synthesise contemporary knowledge to develop strategies for practice improvement

Clinical Issue Identification:
Medication administration errors represent a significant patient safety concern in specialty nursing practice. These errors can lead to adverse patient outcomes, increased healthcare costs, and diminished quality of care (Fathi et al., 2023). Reflecting on personal experiences in a critical care setting, the need for improved medication administration safety protocols has become apparent.

Reflective Model:
Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988) will be utilised to structure the analysis of this clinical issue. This model provides a systematic approach to reflection, encompassing six stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan (Markkanen et al., 2020).

Literature Review and Discussion:

Description of the Issue:
Medication administration errors in critical care settings often result from factors such as high patient acuity, complex medication regimens, and time pressures. These errors may include incorrect dosage, wrong medication, or improper administration timing (Fathi et al., 2023).

Evaluation and Analysis:
Research indicates that medication errors are a leading cause of preventable harm in healthcare settings. A systematic review by Tariq et al. (2021) found that medication errors occur in 8-25% of hospital admissions, with critical care units experiencing higher rates due to the complexity of care provided.

Contributing factors to medication errors include inadequate knowledge, poor communication, and system failures. Nurses play a crucial role in preventing these errors, as they are often the last line of defence before medication reaches the patient (Markkanen et al., 2020).

Strategies for Improvement:
1. Technology Implementation:
Electronic medication administration records (eMARs) and barcode medication administration systems have shown promise in reducing medication errors. A study by Lee et al. (2019) demonstrated a 54% reduction in medication administration errors following the implementation of barcode technology in a critical care unit.

2. Education and Training:
Continuous professional development focused on medication safety can enhance nurses’ knowledge and skills. Fathi et al. (2023) found that structured education programmes significantly improved nurses’ medication administration competencies and reduced error rates.

3. Standardised Protocols:
Developing and implementing standardised medication administration protocols can reduce variability and improve safety. Tariq et al. (2021) reported that the use of standardised checklists and double-checking procedures led to a 30% reduction in medication errors in high-risk areas.

4. Communication Improvement:
Enhancing communication among healthcare team members is crucial for medication safety. Implementing structured handover tools, such as SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), can improve information transfer and reduce errors related to miscommunication (Markkanen et al., 2020).

5. Just Culture:
Fostering a just culture that encourages error reporting without fear of punitive action can lead to increased transparency and opportunities for system improvement. Lee et al. (2019) found that institutions with strong just culture practices had higher rates of error reporting and subsequently implemented more effective safety measures.

Conclusion:
Improving medication administration safety in specialty nursing practice requires a multifaceted approach. By implementing technology solutions, enhancing education and training, standardising protocols, improving communication, and fostering a just culture, healthcare organisations can significantly reduce medication errors and improve patient outcomes.

Action Plan:
To address the identified clinical issue, the following steps will be taken:
1. Advocate for the implementation of barcode medication administration technology in the critical care unit
2. Develop and deliver a targeted education programme on medication safety for nursing staff
3. Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to create standardised medication administration protocols
4. Implement SBAR communication tool for shift handovers and interdisciplinary communication
5. Work with hospital leadership to strengthen just culture practices and encourage error reporting

By implementing these evidence-based strategies, it is anticipated that medication administration safety in specialty nursing practice will improve, leading to enhanced patient outcomes and quality of care.

References:

Fathi, A., Hajizadeh, M., Moradi, K., Zandian, H., Dezhkameh, M., Kazemzadeh, S. and Rezaei, S., 2023. Medication errors among nurses in hospitalized patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 77(1), p.e15146.

Lee, Y.H., Brown, L., Glassenbury, D., Kelly, P.J., Westbrook, J.I., Manias, E. and Iedema, R., 2019. Medication safety challenges in the older adult population: A narrative review. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 38(4), pp.218-226.

Markkanen, P., Välimäki, M., Anttila, M. and Kuuskorpi, M., 2020. A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a school setting. Educational Research, 62(1), pp.46-62.

Tariq, R.A., Vashisht, R., Sinha, A. and Scherbak, Y., 2021. Medication dispensing errors and prevention. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.

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Assignment Details :
N8002-Professional Reflection in Nursing-G…
Purpose
Synthesize knowledge from the literature to develop strategies that improve a particular issue in your specialty practice.
Task details
Students will formulate a reflective improvement plan on an issue they have identified in their specialty practice that requires improvement
The students need to state the objectives of this assignment, conduct a critical review of the literature, and synthesize contemporary knowledge about reflective practice to develop strategies that will improve their professional practice.
Identify a clinical issue/situation you have reflected upon that requires improvement.
Identify a reflective model/theory you are going to utilise in this plan.
Synthesise the identified relevant literature into a coherent and logical discussion paper about what is known on the topic and what strategies you have identified to improve the specialty practice.
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