Why do Medication Errors occur?

Why do medication errors occur?

Belonging in the health care profession is one critical job. Unlike other professions, where errors can be easily corrected, in the field of health care provision, it is life that is being handled. In this light, it can be implied therefore, that any errors involving the care given to anyone seeking medical attention is not as easy as it seems. People in the health care team deal with the most precious gift that has been given to humankind, life.

In most health care settings, as human as they are, it is quite inevitable for the health care providers to commit some errors. One of the most common errors widely committed among nurses and other staff members in the health care setting is the commission of medication errors.

Medication errors are affected be several different factors. One of the most influential factors that contribute to the occurrence of medication errors is the shortage of hospital staff, particularly nurses. When the ratio of nurses to patients is obviously imbalanced, the tendency for nurses to commit errors in giving medications to patients is higher. This is because the demands of time and orders from the doctors put intense pressure towards the nurses.

Aside from that, stress puts significant impact in the performance of faulty medication administration. Stress is one reason behind medication errors because deprives the nurses to be in complete consciousness and distracts them from carrying the work that are tasked for them to do.

More so, medication errors happen because of ineffective communication. When the lines of communication between doctors, nurses and other health care team members are not in conjunction to the set goal, errors and mistakes are likely to happen.

Thus, it is vital that those in the health care profession are vigilant enough.