Medication error
A medication error can be defined as any mistake in prescription, distribution, or administration of a drug that can lead to adverse (mild or fatal) reactions (Zimmerman, 2016). These errors are mostly preventable. In this writing, I am going to explain an incident which is related to gaining competency in the administration of medication while working as a student nurse in India. This incident is specifically related to the administration of IM (Intra-muscular injection). I will use the Gibbs Reflective cycle to reflect my personal experience.
During my clinical placements as a student nurse in India, I was working in the medical ward of a tertiary hospital. After taking over from the previous shift nurse and planning timesheet for the shift, I started medication those were due for the time. While doing medication of my patient, I noticed that there was some discrepancy related to one frequency of one medicine in the prescription and chart-sheet. In the prescription chart, the frequency was four times a day, while in the chart-sheet it was three times a day. I informed my supervisor regarding the writing error, and she ordered me to administer the drug, even there was a discrepancy. Written prescriptions can contribute to medication errors (Zimmerman, 2016). Moreover, nearly fifteen per cent of the total medication errors are related to prescription errors. Besides, this is the most common type of error in hospital settings (Zimmerman, 2016). Several studies also show that chances of medication errors are even higher in the case of students who have limited clinical knowledge and unsupervised experience (Sousa, 2019).
I was feeling very confused at that time. During the nursing placements, students often feel anxious, pressurised and time-bounded, due to which the chances of mistakes become even more (Sousa, 2019). I was going through the same situation. The supervisor was very experienced registered nurse and had a sound theoretical knowledge. However, I was still in doubt to follow the instructions given by the instructor.
After having a second discussion with the supervisor, we decided to confirm the dosage with the prescribing doctor. However, the doctor was left for the day and hence, my doubt remained unclear. Moreover, it was my responsibility to ensure that I was administering the right drug at the right time and in the right dosage (Shannon, 2016). Therefore, I contacted the pharmacist, who checked the name and dosage of the drug, which was TDS.
On analysis, it was proved that the accuracy of drugs is paramount to prevent medication errors and adverse reactions at the workplace (Creed, 2017). I researched for further information on MIMS regarding the medication and double-checked it with the pharmacist. I analysed that complete understanding and knowledge of every medication, its dosage, action, adverse effects, etcetera is mandatory to have before the administration (Zimmerman, 2017).
In conclusion, communication within the multidisciplinary team is very important to work effectively and prevent errors in the workplace (Sousa, 2019). The nurse is a cornerstone of the healthcare system, therefore, every nurse must be able to think critically, and possess skills to prevent accidents at the workplace (Creed, 2017).
A detailed discussion and regular training sessions are needed to appraise the knowledge of nurses and nursing students to prevent such errors.
In conclusion, with this self-reflection, I become more aware of the occurrence of medication errors and potential factors associated with it. Overall, this reflection was an example of personal experience of an incident that could lead to a serious medication error.
A medication error can be defined as any mistake in prescription, distribution, or administration of a drug that can lead to adverse (mild or fatal) reactions (Zimmerman, 2016). These errors are mostly preventable. In this writing, I am going to explain an incident which is related to gaining competency in the administration of medication while working as a student nurse in India. This incident is specifically related to the administration of IM (Intra-muscular injection). I will use the Gibbs Reflective cycle to reflect my personal experience.
During my clinical placements as a student nurse in India, I was working in the medical ward of a tertiary hospital. After taking over from the previous shift nurse and planning timesheet for the shift, I started medication those were due for the time. While doing medication of my patient, I noticed that there was some discrepancy related to one frequency of one medicine in the prescription and chart-sheet. In the prescription chart, the frequency was four times a day, while in the chart-sheet it was three times a day. I informed my supervisor regarding the writing error, and she ordered me to administer the drug, even there was a discrepancy. Written prescriptions can contribute to medication errors (Zimmerman, 2016). Moreover, nearly fifteen per cent of the total medication errors are related to prescription errors. Besides, this is the most common type of error in hospital settings (Zimmerman, 2016). Several studies also show that chances of medication errors are even higher in the case of students who have limited clinical knowledge and unsupervised experience (Sousa, 2019).
I was feeling very confused at that time. During the nursing placements, students often feel anxious, pressurised and time-bounded, due to which the chances of mistakes become even more (Sousa, 2019). I was going through the same situation. The supervisor was very experienced registered nurse and had a sound theoretical knowledge. However, I was still in doubt to follow the instructions given by the instructor.
After having a second discussion with the supervisor, we decided to confirm the dosage with the prescribing doctor. However, the doctor was left for the day and hence, my doubt remained unclear. Moreover, it was my responsibility to ensure that I was administering the right drug at the right time and in the right dosage (Shannon, 2016). Therefore, I contacted the pharmacist, who checked the name and dosage of the drug, which was TDS.
On analysis, it was proved that the accuracy of drugs is paramount to prevent medication errors and adverse reactions at the workplace (Creed, 2017). I researched for further information on MIMS regarding the medication and double-checked it with the pharmacist. I analysed that complete understanding and knowledge of every medication, its dosage, action, adverse effects, etcetera is mandatory to have before the administration (Zimmerman, 2017).
In conclusion, communication within the multidisciplinary team is very important to work effectively and prevent errors in the workplace (Sousa, 2019). The nurse is a cornerstone of the healthcare system, therefore, every nurse must be able to think critically, and possess skills to prevent accidents at the workplace (Creed, 2017).
A detailed discussion and regular training sessions are needed to appraise the knowledge of nurses and nursing students to prevent such errors.
In conclusion, with this self-reflection, I become more aware of the occurrence of medication errors and potential factors associated with it. Overall, this reflection was an example of personal experience of an incident that could lead to a serious medication error.