When the 5 rights go wrong: medication errors from the nursing perspective

J Nurs Care Qual. 2010 Jul-Sep;25(3):240-7. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0b013e3181d5b948.

Abstract

This study describes nurses' perceptions about how and why medication errors occur and their personal experiences with medication errors. A survey was mailed to a random sample of registered nurses. Two hundred and two responded. Of those, 158 (78%) nurses admitted making medication errors and provided details about these errors. This study, by providing the perspective of frontline nurses, contributes to the body of knowledge on medication errors.

MeSH terms

  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Female
  • Health Care Surveys*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medication Errors / nursing*
  • Medication Errors / prevention & control
  • Medication Errors / psychology*
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / psychology*
  • Self Concept
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Workload