Melissa Davis1, Jessica Coviello. 1. Author Affiliations: Clinical Associate Professor of Nursing (Dr Davis), Hartwick College, Department of Nursing, Oneonta, New York; and Associate Professor (Dr Coviello), Yale School of Nursing, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Medication errors, now thought to be 4 times greater than previous estimates, harm patients, families, health care institutions, and nurses themselves, who are second victims of their mistakes. PROBLEM: Current nursing education may lack coherent medication safety frameworks other than the classic Five Rights construct. APPROACH: This project piloted an educational intervention with senior associate degree nursing students based on high-reliability organization (HRO) safety principles. OUTCOMES: Subjects evaluated the HRO safety concepts learning experience positively and improved pretest to posttest scores by 74%. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates subjects' ready acceptance and comprehension of HRO safety theory as applied to medication safety, an alternative to the Five Rights construct.
BACKGROUND: Medication errors, now thought to be 4 times greater than previous estimates, harm patients, families, health care institutions, and nurses themselves, who are second victims of their mistakes. PROBLEM: Current nursing education may lack coherent medication safety frameworks other than the classic Five Rights construct. APPROACH: This project piloted an educational intervention with senior associate degree nursing students based on high-reliability organization (HRO) safety principles. OUTCOMES: Subjects evaluated the HRO safety concepts learning experience positively and improved pretest to posttest scores by 74%. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates subjects' ready acceptance and comprehension of HRO safety theory as applied to medication safety, an alternative to the Five Rights construct.