Medication Errors and How to Avoid Them

Learning Objectives

After completing this course you’ll be able to:

1. Identify following sources of error and describe the steps you would take to avoid them:
  1. Abbreviation
  2. Administration complication
  3. Administration route mix-up
  4. Allergic reaction
  5. Documentation problem
  6. Dosage error
  7. Drug name confusion
  8. Drug preparation problem
  9. Equipment misuse
  10. Infusion misuse
  11. Insulin error
  12. I.V. therapy mistake
  13. Label confusion
  14. MAR misuse
  15. Order misunderstanding
  16. Patient name mix-up
  17. Patient-teaching failure
  18. Protocol violation
  19. Storage problem
  20. Symbol misinterpretation
  21. Syringe and Tubex problem
  22. Telephone miscommunication
  23. Transcription error
  24. Unfamiliarity and carelessness
  25. Verification failure
2. Name “5 rights” of drug administration.
3. List two cardinal rules for administering insulin.
4. Explain the importance of not leaving substances at a patient’s bedside without clear instructions.
5. Take appropriate action with the drug manufacturer when you see a misleading package label.
6. Differentiate between the workings of volumetric and nonvolumetric infusion controllers.
7. Take proper steps to avoid errors in the administration of cancer drugs.
8. List the three different times when the drug label should be checked.
9. Describe what a nurse should do when seeing an unclear order.
10. Explain why metric is a better system to use.
11. Explain the pitfalls of relying on only one health professional to interpret a drug order.
12. Explain how one can avoid an error that can occur by injecting medication into the wrong catheter tube.
13. Follow the proper procedure to avoid complications arising from administering inappropriate dosage of analgesics to patients recovering from anesthetics.
14. Stress the importance of checking the MAR before giving a drug.
15. Explain how an order that calls for two tablets should be transcribed in three separate lines.

Course Contents

SOURCE OF ERROR ERROR NUMBER
Abbreviation misinterpretation 8, 11, 20, 56, 83, 108, 111, 116, 126, 131, 146, 161, 172, 188, 189, 191
Administration Complication 7, 12, 19, 21, 40, 57, 60, 66, 70, 73, 95, 118, 129, 144, 153, 156, 163, 171, 176, 180, 183, 195, 197
Administration route mix-up 24, 100, 114, 138, 155, 188, 194, 196
Allergic reaction 1, 6, 61, 158
Documentation problem 32, 67, 149
Dosage error 5, 13, 17, 18, 28, 33, 35, 43, 49, 50, 53, 55, 72, 77, 81, 97, 105, 108, 119, 133, 141, 149, 154, 157, 163, 181, 192, 193
Drug name confusion 26, 30, 31, 38, 44, 45, 47, 54, 57, 64, 68, 74, 75, 88, 120, 125, 127, 135, 137, 140, 148, 166, 168, 175, 177, 178, 179, 186
Drug preparation problem 25, 67, 76, 89, 92, 120, 145
Equipment misuse 23, 58, 184
Infusion misuse 39, 87, 110, 122
Insulin error 5, 28, 43, 82, 133
I.V. therapy mistake 15, 29, 42, 59, 78, 86, 93, 100, 106, 115, 132, 142, 147, 169
Label confusion 3, 14, 41, 46, 63, 65, 96, 99, 104, 113, 120, 121, 124, 128, 129, 136, 141, 154, 160, 169, 199
MAR misuse 2, 44, 62, 73, 100, 109, 170
Order misunderstanding 22, 79, 80, 85, 101, 123, 130, 134, 143, 150, 159, 182, 190, 200
Patient name mix-up 4, 51, 102, 151, 187
Patient-teaching failure 37, 75
Protocol violation 36, 98
Storage problem 9, 90, 94, 139, 173
Symbol misinterpretation 34, 152
Syringe and Tubex problem 16, 42, 162
Telephone miscommunication 10, 69, 103
Transcription error 2, 52, 81, 185
Unfamiliarity and carelessness 21, 27, 48, 71, 107, 117, 158, 164, 167, 180, 192, 198
Verification failure 20, 53, 84, 91, 112, 165, 174

Comments:

"I think by doing case examples is an excellent way to leard & retain. In my years of nursing I have come across several of these examples." - A.R., LPN, MA

"I thought course was very informative and helpful in preventing medication errors." - L.H., LPN, MA

 

 

 

 

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