Clinical Issue Article Analysis Overview

Clinical Issue Article Analysis Overview: Step Three

Team A continues to focus on studies that relate to medication errors. Because health professionals are the individuals at the frontline of medication errors, it is important to understand why these errors occur. Each member of Team A identified a qualitative research study that focused on medications errors. Qualitative research studies can be an appropriate way to identify why medication errors occur, how to use this information for future prevention, and how to assist those staff members when an error does occur. The chosen articles had a different approach to the way data was collected but the majority of the data collected was done by interviews. One article interviewed nurses and managers on latent failures and how it affected medication errors. Another article interviewed individuals directly involved with medication errors. Another form of data collected was mailed survey directed toward physicians. Some physicians were also randomly chosen for telephone surveys.

The last qualitative study collected information from nurses and his or her perceived causes of errors. Data collected included several common themes including many external factors, frustration with technology and regulations, inexperienced, being short-staffed, and taking care of too many patients, and describing lessons learned from the errors. Many nurses had different responses and reasons why the error may have occurred. From the articles, each collection technique was thoughtfully planned. Because qualitative research design is flexible and requires involvement of researchers, the identified forms of data collection are acceptable.

Through qualitative studies on medication errors, health care professionals will better understand why and how prevention measures will work. Researchers with strong clinical backgrounds seek to identify what respondents believe about the cause of medication errors and what will improve current data. The studies decipher respondent feelings in specific situations like the periods after the error occurrences. Questions may include the respondents’ introspection for ethical conclusions on disciplinary actions after an error. Each measure offers helpful findings for administrators. Understanding various aspects of medication errors leads to realistic and attainable solutions. Nurses go into the profession to help people, and when errors occur nurses are troubled by every aspect of the mistake. Through research and knowledge of the effect of medication errors on the patient and nurse; organizations can address the issue and guide their organization to providing safer care.

Annotated Bibliography

Blendon, R.J. et al. (2002). Patient safety: Views of practicing physicians and the public on medical errors. The New England Journal of Medicine, 347(24), 1933-1940.