Discussion a. – l | Nursing homework help
Medication errors are a common issue in healthcare, and drug safety is crucial in minimizing such errors. Enhancing the practice environment is a key approach to ensuring drug safety. One way to achieve this is by establishing a supportive practice environment that promotes teamwork between healthcare personnel, including nurses, physicians, and pharmacists. Additionally, there is a need to provide opportunities for nurses to take part in decision-making to ensure that decisions made prioritize the safety of patients (Jeffs et al., 2013).
Continued education opportunities are also essential in enhancing drug safety. Nurses should not be allowed to administer drugs they are not familiar with. Therefore, accurate and current drug information should be readily available to healthcare providers. Effective communication is another critical aspect of drug safety in healthcare settings. Miscommunication among healthcare providers is a common cause of drug safety issues. To overcome this challenge, there is a need to promote effective communication between team members, for example, by using the SBAR technique (Boysen, 2013).
In conclusion, drug safety is vital in ensuring that patients receive the right medication at the right time, in the right dose, and through the right route. By establishing a supportive practice environment, providing continued education opportunities, and promoting effective communication among healthcare providers, drug safety can be enhanced, reducing the occurrence of medication errors and minimizing the resulting adverse effects on patients.
References
Boysen, P. G. (2013). Just culture: a foundation for balanced accountability and patient safety. The Ochsner Journal, 13(3), 400-406.
Jeffs, L., Acott, A., Simpson, E., Campbell, H., Irwin, T., Lo, J., … & Cardoso, R. (2013). The value of bedside shift reporting enhancing nurse surveillance, accountability, and patient safety. Journal of nursing care quality, 28(3), 226-232.