Medication errors as elements of patient safety: contributing factors and prevention strategies by the nursing professional

Abstract

Introduction. Medication errors (ME) can be associated with professional practice in prescribing, dispensing, distributing, administering medications, monitoring and communication problems between health professionals; The preparation and administration of medications is a highly complex process in which nursing professionals play a fundamental role as the last line of defense to prevent possible drug-related harm to the patient. The nursing professional is called upon to lead the medication administration process, assuming an essential role in the nursing team. Objective. To identify the main contributing factors and strategies for prevention, approach and management of nursing services in the face of medication errors from the perspective of patient safety. Methods: A Scoping Review type literature search was conducted in Pubmed, EBSCO host, and Science Direct. Descriptors identified in Desc and Mesh articles were used; the PRISMA methodology for reviews was used to select the articles for this article. Results: 369 articles were found in the databases addressed according to the determined criteria; 43 articles were selected for the research. Conclusion. The different elements that make up the presence of medication errors were identified; in turn, the generating and/or contributing factors for the presence of these errors during the administration of medications, in turn, strategies for prevention, approach and management of nursing services that reduce the potential risks identified were determined.