Prevention of Medical Errors in Nursing Practice

STATEMENT OF NEED
Medical errors are among the most common health-threatening mistakes that affect patient care, accounting for as many as 250,000 deaths per year in the United States (Makary & Daniel, 2016). Medical errors are considered a global problem, complicating a patient’s primary condition for which they needed medical attention. These errors can lead to adverse outcomes such as increased mortality, increased duration of hospitalization, and increased medical expenses in addition to decreased confidence in the health care system. Despite their high occurrence, medical errors are frequently underreported in health care organizations.

TARGET AUDIENCE
Nurses, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Differentiate the four categories of medication errors
2. Identify challenges in avoiding medical errors unique to at-risk populations
3. Describe best practices in error analysis and reporting