Search results for "Interruptions and distractions"

This randomized controlled trial had nurses on four hospital wards wear "do not interrupt" vests during medication administration. The rate of interruptions the intervention nurses experienced was compared to the rate in four control wards that did not have nurses wear vests. Although the intervention reduced non–medication-related interruptions, nurses reported that the vests were time consuming and uncomfortable; less than half would support continuing the intervention. This study demonstrates the need to design and test sustainable interventions to improve patient safety.

Interruptions are known to contribute to medication errors. This direct observation study found that resident physicians and physician assistants experienced 57 interruptions per 100 medication orders. The authors suggest that inpatient health systems should implement strategies to reduce interruptions during medication ordering.

Interruptions are known to contribute to medication administration errors. This pre–post study found that nurses experienced fewer interruptions and made fewer medication errors following the introduction of a separate medication room. These results demonstrate how changing the work environment can promote safety.

Chemotherapy medications can cause severe patient harm if incorrectly dosed or administered. This cross-sectional survey of oncology nurses revealed that most chemotherapy double-checking is conducted jointly rather than independently. Of note, many nurses reported being interrupted to engage in a double-check.

Medication administration errors are common and are often associated with interruptions. This study reviews data from a recent study on medication safety in critical access hospitals and recommends organizational strategies to improve the safety of medication administration.

This systematic review found clear consensus that disruptions worsen the safety of medication administration by nursing, and interventions to reduce such interruptions can improve safety. Investigators identified effective management of unavoidable interruptions as a gap in current research and training for nurses.

Interruptions occur frequently during the medication process, and previous studies examined whether they increase risks. This review explores the literature on the impact of interruptions during medication administration to determine factors that contribute to interruptions and how to address them.

High-alert medications have the potential to cause serious patient harm. This article focuses on four primary types of high-alert medications—anticoagulants, sedatives, insulins, and opioids—that can have serious adverse effects and recommends strategies to reduce risks, including conducting independent double-checks and decreasing interruptions.

Implementation of a safe zone—which included marked quiet areas for medication preparation, adhering to a checklist for medication processes, and educating staff about distractions—to minimize interruptions during medication administration did not improve medication error rates, but was associated with an increase in patient satisfaction.

In this prospective observational study at a psychiatric hospital, errors were identified in 3% of medication administration episodes, with omission being the most common error type. As in prior studies, interruptions and higher patient volume were associated with increased risk of mistakes.

This cross-sectional study presents data collected from the Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes benchmarking registry. In this convenience sample, nurses deviated from medication administration safe practices approximately 11% per encounter, and administration errors occurred 0.32% per encounter. Distractions or interruptions accounted for nearly one-fourth of the safe practice deviations.

Nursing students and new registered nurses are more likely to make mistakes during medication administration due to lack of experience and insufficient knowledge. This commentary describes the development and implementation of a simulation program to help students experience the various interruptions and distractions that occur in the hospital environment while preparing medications to understand how they can contribute to errors and learn about risks associated with multitasking.

This qualitative study characterized safety hazards in medication dispensing in community pharmacies. The authors conclude that the major sources of risk pertained to interruptions and distractions, which were often exacerbated by production pressures.

This study used direct observation and interviews to evaluate the effectiveness of tabards, do-not-disturb signs worn by registered nurses dispensing medications in inpatient settings, in preventing disruptions. The authors found a decrease in interruptions and medication errors, suggesting that tabards may augment safety despite controversy regarding their use.

This study used high-fidelity simulation to evaluate the impact of several interventions on preventing medication administration errors by chemotherapy nurses. Interventions with a basis in human factors engineering principles appeared to be highly effective at reducing errors related to interruptions.

This direct observation study of nursing medication administration demonstrated that adherence to safe practices such as minimizing interruptions, checking two forms of patient identification, discussing medications with patients and their families, and prompt documentation led to fewer medication administration errors. Characteristics such as higher patient-to-nurse ratios and patient turnover were associated with decreased adherence to safe practices, emphasizing the crucial role of nursing workload in patient safety.

Medication errors are common in mental health care. This survey of nurses and nursing students identified interruptions and insufficient medication knowledge as major barriers to ensuring medication safety in outpatient mental health.

Human factors engineering is being increasingly promoted as an approach that generates lasting safety improvements. This commentary describes how applying human factors principles can identify ways to reduce risks in health care settings, including issues related to interruptions and infusion pumps.

Aviation strategies often guide patient safety improvement discussions. This commentary describes how a team of nurses applied the sterile cockpit concept in their unit to decrease interruptions during medication administration. The authors relate lessons learned from their experience.

At an Australian hospital, frequent interruptions, limited space, and equipment problems were among many aspects of the physical environment that hinder the medication administration process. An AHRQ WebM&M perspective discusses how restructuring the physical work environment can be a key component of safety efforts.