TITLE:
Medication Administration Errors among Nurses and Midwives in Ghana
AUTHORS:
Rita Opoku-Danso, Vera Love Otoo, Christiana Asiedu
KEYWORDS:
Ghana, Medication Errors, Midwives, Nurses
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.14 No.2,
February
29,
2024
ABSTRACT:
Errors in the
administration of medications are a prevalent issue among patients worldwide.
The study looked at medication administration errors made by midwives and
nurses in Ghana. A cross-sectional design was employed in conjunction with the
quantitative method to conduct the investigation. A census sample was used to
choose 231 nurses and midwives for the study. Descriptive statistics were used
for the analysis. A combination of factors led to medication errors, and the
majority of nurses and midwives reported experiencing medication errors twice
in their professional practice. The study also found that the majority of
respondents were female, between the ages of 25 and 29; they held a diploma;
and they had worked for five years or less on the unit or department where the
nurses and midwives were engaged. Regarding nurse-related factors, the majority
of respondents concurred that psychological and mental health issues, drug
unfamiliarity, and a general sense of hopelessness and disinterest in the
nursing profession are all potential causes of medication errors. The study
suggests that nurses and midwives receive more intensive education on
medication errors.