Abstract
Objective
This study aims to determine the likelihood that rural nurses perceive a hypothetical medication error would be reported in their workplace.
Design
This employs cross-sectional survey using hypothetical error scenario with varying levels of harm.
Setting
Clinical settings in rural Tasmania.
Participants
Participants were 116 eligible surveys received from registered and enrolled nurses.
Main outcome measures
Frequency of responses indicating the likelihood that severe, moderate and near miss (no harm) scenario would ‘always’ be reported or disclosed.
Results
Eighty per cent of nurses viewed a severe error would ‘always’ be reported, 64.8% a moderate error and 45.7% a near-miss error. In regards to disclosure, 54.7% felt this was ‘always’ likely to occur for a severe error, 44.8% for a moderate error and 26.4% for a near miss. Across all levels of severity, aged-care nurses were more likely than nurses in other settings to view error to ‘always’ be reported (ranging from 72–96%, P = 0.010 to 0.042,) and disclosed (68–88%, P = 0.000). Those in a management role were more likely to view error to ‘always’ be disclosed compared to those in a clinical role (50–77.3%, P = 0.008–0.024).
Conclusion
Further research in rural clinical settings is needed to improve the understanding of error management and disclosure.
This study aims to determine the likelihood that rural nurses perceive a hypothetical medication error would be reported in their workplace.
Design
This employs cross-sectional survey using hypothetical error scenario with varying levels of harm.
Setting
Clinical settings in rural Tasmania.
Participants
Participants were 116 eligible surveys received from registered and enrolled nurses.
Main outcome measures
Frequency of responses indicating the likelihood that severe, moderate and near miss (no harm) scenario would ‘always’ be reported or disclosed.
Results
Eighty per cent of nurses viewed a severe error would ‘always’ be reported, 64.8% a moderate error and 45.7% a near-miss error. In regards to disclosure, 54.7% felt this was ‘always’ likely to occur for a severe error, 44.8% for a moderate error and 26.4% for a near miss. Across all levels of severity, aged-care nurses were more likely than nurses in other settings to view error to ‘always’ be reported (ranging from 72–96%, P = 0.010 to 0.042,) and disclosed (68–88%, P = 0.000). Those in a management role were more likely to view error to ‘always’ be disclosed compared to those in a clinical role (50–77.3%, P = 0.008–0.024).
Conclusion
Further research in rural clinical settings is needed to improve the understanding of error management and disclosure.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 346-351 |
| Journal | AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2015 |