Conectar
This study aims to explore the negative emotions experienced by nurses following medication errors.
Mixed-method systematic review.
A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO and Google Scholar for studies published in English between January 2013 and October 2024. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool was used to assess article quality and data were analysed through qualitative content analysis.
From 1619 screened studies, 19 were selected: 14 qualitative, 3 quantitative and 2 mixed-method. The negative emotions experienced by nurses, as second victims of medication errors, can be categorised into 8 groups: Fear, anger, disturbance, sadness, shame, guilt, low self-esteem and depression. Additionally, the following 11 types of fear were identified: Fear of judgement, disrespect, losing one's job, getting scolded and contempt, retaliation and punishment, reaction, consequences, disciplinary actions and lawsuits, patient's well-being, reporting a medication error and losing patient's/their families' trust. Furthermore, two types of shame were identified: Internal and external shame.
The negative emotions that nurses experience as second victims can persist long after the error occurs. It underscores the need for structured psychological support systems to foster a culture of ‘responsibility without blame’.
Addressing nurses' emotional challenges as second victims enhances their well-being and improves global healthcare safety and quality.
These findings highlight the need for healthcare leaders and policymakers to implement interventions that foster a supportive, non-punitive workplace with the aim of improving the emotional well-being of nurses following medication errors.
The study adhered to PRISMA guidelines.
None.
Prospero code: CRD42023439304.
To describe the contributing factors and types of reported medication incidents in home care related to the flow of information in different phases of the medication process, as reported by multi-professional healthcare groups.
This descriptive, qualitative study used retrospective data.
An incident-reporting database was used to collect 14,289 incident reports from 2017 to 2019 in a city in Finland. We used this data to select medication incidents (n = 1027) related to the flow of information in home care and between home care and hospitals. Data were divided into five groups based on the medication phase: (1) prescribing, (2) dispensing, (3) administration, (4) documentation and (5) self-administration. In addition, the types of medication-related incidents were described. The data were examined using abductive content analysis. The EQUATOR SRQR checklist was used in this report.
Four main categories were identified from the data: (1) issues related to information management, (2) cooperation issues between different actors, (3) work environment and lack of resources and (4) factors related to healthcare workers. Cooperation issues contributed to medication-related incidents during each phase. Incomplete communication was a contributing factor to medication incidents. This occurred between home care, remote care, hospital, the client and the client's relatives. Specifically, a lack of information-sharing occurred in repatriation situations, where care transitioned between different healthcare professionals.
Healthcare professionals, organisations, clients and their relatives should focus on the efficient and safe acquisition of medications. Specifically, the use of electronic communication systems, together with oral reports and checklists for discharge situations, and timely cooperation with pharmacists should be developed to manage information flows.
These findings demonstrate that healthcare professionals require uniform models and strategies to accurately and safely prescribe, dispense and administer medications in home care settings.
No patient or public contributions.
FreshRSS 