Barriers and perceptions to medication administration error reporting among nurses in Saudi Arabia
Files
Date
2016
Authors
Albukhodaah, Abdulrahman Abdullah
Editors
Advisors
McLiesh, Paul Christopher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Theses
Citation
Statement of Responsibility
Conference Name
Abstract
Background: Medication administration errors (MAEs) are considered as a global problem
which influences the safety of patients. Due to some factors MAEs are still underreported.
However, MAEs have been under-researched in Saudi health settings. The reporting barriers
of fear, perception of nurses towards reporting MAEs, and the process of reporting
significantly contribute to failure to report. Understanding of factors that may inhibit
reporting MAEs among nurses in Saudi Arabia is a primary step to improve the safety culture
of hospitals. Furthermore, understanding nurses’ perception toward MAEs reporting is the
initial step to increasing the reporting rate.
Aims: (1) To identify factors from the literature that facilitate or hinder the reporting of
medication administration errors among nurses and (2) to identify factors that nurses perceive
as major contributors in the culture of reporting medication administration errors in Saudi
Arabia hospitals.
Methods: a questionnaire was developed consisting of four pages to examine the nurses’
perceptions and the potential barriers to the reporting of medication administration errors and
an open-ended question to seek more understanding of this topic among nurses in Saudi
Arabia. The questionnaire items included: demographics and background, nurses’ perceptions
of reporting medication administration errors and potential barriers to reporting MAEs.
Participants for this study were nurses from three hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences Software the IBM (SPSS) Statistics was used to analyses the
quantitative data and content analysis was used to analyses the qualitative data.
Results: A total of 366 nurses participated in the study with response rate 63.3%. Nurses’
perception and awareness towards the importance of medication administration error
reporting were positive. The major perceived barrier was fear of the consequences after
reporting. This study found only 28.6% of nurses always reported MAEs when it occurs.
Nursing administration (Head Nurse, Nursing Supervisor and/or Nursing Director) was the
biggest concern affecting nurses’ willingness to report MAEs. Making the work environment,
a non-blame environment may encourage a greater reporting of MAEs.
Conclusions: Most nurses in Saudi Arabia’s hospitals believed that MAEs must be reported.
However, fear of blame or the possibility of legal action and administration factors lead to
underreporting.
Implications for nursing management: Nursing administration should work towards
establishing a blame free culture and support the safety culture to encourage reporting.
School/Discipline
School of Nursing
Dissertation Note
Thesis (M.Nurs.Sc.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Nursing, 2016
Provenance
This electronic version is made publicly available by the University of Adelaide in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. This thesis may incorporate third party material which has been used by the author pursuant to Fair Dealing exceptions. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material you wish to be removed from this electronic version, please complete the take down form located at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/legals