Prevalence and factor associating medication error among registered nurses at Public Hospital Ipoh

Medication administration is an important task performed daily by nurses and is one of the key aspects of safe patient care. Research indicates that when medication errors occur the concern is usually for the patients involved in the incident. However, making a medication administration error has a lasting effect on the nurse as well as the patient (Schelbred & Nord, 2007; Treiber & Jones, 2010). The objective of the study is to evaluate the prevalence and factor associate medication error among registered nurse at public hospital Ipoh. Method of the study is quantitative study in carry out the research from the questionnaires. This study has conducted two types of statistics namely descriptive and inferential. Data collected from N = 80 respondents from two clinical areas; medical and surgical ward. The data collected through this questionnaire was analysed with the help of statistical program for social science (SPSS) version 24.0. The data were statistically treated using mean, standard deviation and one-way ANOVA test. Based on the key findings of the study, it found out the element related to 'preparing and administering' (mean=4.88) was the highest prevalence compared to other elements. This study also found that management factor (mean = 3.55; SD = 4.914) was the main factor contributing to the incident of medication error at the study location followed by environmental factor (mean = 3.53; SD = 4.231) and human characteristic factor with mean score = 3.51 (SD = 4.237). While one-way ANOVA test showed that the difference in marital status of the respondents was significant with the causative factor of medication error with the value is (p=0.027). In conclusion, this review paper summarizes the preventive measures of medication errors made by nurses. As it is obvious, there is a plenty of factors that need to be applied in the hospital to succeed low medication error rate. To improve nurses‘ knowledge of how individual factors, contribute to errors and help them develop effective strategies to prevent errors occurring, it is important that institutions reward and encourage leaders who demonstrate characteristics of mindfulness on all levels. (Abstract by author