Researchers identified the most common drugs associated with medication errors among registered nurses and defined key strategies to reduce ME incidents, according to Medscape.
Cardiovascular drugs comprised the most ME cases (24.7 percent), followed by antimicrobial (19.1 percent), electrolytes (11.3 percent), endocrine drugs (8.8 percent) and analgesics (8.8 percent).
Across practices, ME cases among RNs occurred most often in medical-surgical units (35 percent), followed by intensive care units (14.7 percent) and intermediate care (13.3 percent).
Based on these findings, researchers noted the following five strategies to limit ME cases for RNs:
1. Pursue continuing education courses and training
2. Have required courses in pharmacology during licensure, with an emphasis on high-risk drugs
3. Obtain sufficient training and retraining in administering anticoagulation drugs
4. Utilize computerized provider order entry
5. Have nurse champions oversee computerized provider order entry
Applied Nursing Research published the study online in December 2016 and will publish the study its February 2017 print issue.
