Purchasing for safety: standardization in intravenous equipment.

In 2005 the National Audit Office published figures that revealed nearly a million (974,000) 'incidents' or 'near misses' regarding patient safety had been recorded in England over the previous year. A total of 2181 later proved fatal. These incidents included errors in drug dose calculations, administering drugs at the wrong rate or to the wrong patient. The nursing profession, along with doctors, surgeons and every other member of the healthcare team must understand their role in these mistakes. This article considers how standardizing equipment used by clinical staff and enhancing best practice with evidence can significantly reduce medical errors and allow clinical staff more time with their patients.