Capella 4020 Assessment 4 Improvement Plan Tool Kit NURS-FPX 4020 Improving Quality of Care and Patient Safety ​​​​​​​Improvement Plan Tool Kit

The databases used for the research are; Google Scholar, CINAHL, PubMed and BioMed, ScienceDirect, and other professional websites. This resource tool kit will assist nurses and other stakeholders in understanding their roles in successfully implementing the safety improvement plan to reduce MAEs and improve the quality of healthcare services. 

Resource Tool Kit for Implementation and Sustainability 

To make it easier for our audience to understand the importance and development of a safety improvement plan, this resource kit is divided into four sub-categories; an overview and presence of medication administration errors, risk factors for MAEs, strategies to minimize errors, and technological integration to reduce errors. 

An Overview and Presence of MAEs

Assunção-Costa, L., Sousa, I. C. de, Oliveira, M. R. A. de, Pinto, C. R., Machado, J. F. F., Valli, C. G., & Souza, L. E. P. F. de. (2022). Drug administration errors in Latin America: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 17(8), e0272123. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272123 

This article is based on the literature review of various studies which analyze the types and prevalence of medication administration errors in Latin American Hospitals. This systematic review concluded that the MAE rate is significantly higher in the concerned hospitals, with a median rate of 32%, which included time and dose errors, omission errors, and wrong route errors. Most drugs involved in these errors were used to treat chronic health conditions. This resource is beneficial for nurses and other role groups to understand the importance of MAEs within the country by analyzing their prevalence.

Moreover, the information on various types of MAEs assists nurses in identifying the common ones in their healthcare setting, for example, omission errors are common in our specific healthcare setting. Such an identification helps in instigating targeted interventions within the workplace. The data presented in the study advocates the need to implement the safety improvement plan devised specifically for the concerned stakeholders. 

Capella 4020 Assessment 4

Hodkinson, A., Tyler, N., Ashcroft, D. M., Keers, R. N., Khan, K., Phipps, D., Abuzour, A., Bower, P., Avery, A., Campbell, S., & Panagioti, M. (2020). Preventable medication harm across health care settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Medicine, 18(1), 313. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01774-9 

According to Hodkinson et al. (2020), drug-related errors are the third most common cause of mortality in the U.S. The study concludes that frequent preventable medication errors may lead to life-threatening situations for patients, especially in the elderly population. Other settings like primary care and psychiatric health are at high risk for such errors as most healthcare services are delivered in these areas.

Capella 4020 Assessment 4

This resource is helpful for the nurses working in geriatric, primary care, and psychiatric services within healthcare organizations to gather information regarding the risk factors and identify those factors within their healthcare settings to mitigate the threats and preserve patient safety. This study also presents the types of preventable medication errors, which eventually help nurses upgrade their knowledge and apply it to determine high-risk patients within their workplace. Preventing harm by improving nursing practices will ensure high-quality care, patient safety, and patient satisfaction. 

Jessurun, J. G., Hunfeld, N. G. M., de Roo, M., van Onzenoort, H. A. W., van Rosmalen, J., van Dijk, M., & van den Bemt, P. M. L. A. (2023). Prevalence and determinants of medication administration errors in clinical wards: A two‐centre prospective observational study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 32(1–2), 208–220. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16215 

Capella 4020 Assessment 4

This study investigated the presence and determinants of MAEs in Dutch hospitals using an observational design. The study results in 13.7% of MAEs, while the most common types of errors were omission, inappropriate handling, and incorrect dosage. Several determinants of MAEs were observed, including the form of the medication, the time of day, and the level of education and knowledge of the nurses. This study provides valuable insights for nurses to better understand the associated risks, develop targeted interventions to mitigate patient safety risks related to medication