Question

As the manager on an acute care medical unit, you note that the incidence of medication errors has increased since the implementation of staffing changes. As part of your strategy to reduce errors, it is important to:

1) Re-visit reporting standards for medication errors in your organization.
2) Ensure that medication errors are consistently reported.
3) Provide staff with additional education related to safe practice in medication administration.
4) Involve RN staff in determining reasons for errors and practice solutions to increase the safety of medication administration.

Answer 1

To reduce medication errors in an acute care medical unit, it is important to revisit reporting standards, ensure consistent reporting, provide staff with additional education on safe practice, and involve RN staff in determining reasons for errors and practice solutions.

Step-by-step explanation:

To reduce medication errors, as the manager on an acute care medical unit, it is important to implement several strategies:

1. Re-visit reporting standards for medication errors: This will help ensure that medication errors are accurately captured and reported, allowing for analysis and identification of potential trends or patterns.
2. Ensure consistent reporting of medication errors: By ensuring that all medication errors are consistently reported, you can gather data on the frequency and types of errors occurring, which will help inform targeted interventions.
3. Provide staff with additional education on safe practice in medication administration: Educating staff on best practices for medication administration can help improve their knowledge and skills, reducing the likelihood of errors.
4. Involve RN staff in determining reasons for errors and practice solutions: RN staff can provide valuable insights into the factors contributing to medication errors and collaborate on developing solutions to improve medication safety.