Experiences of nursing interns with the application of knowledge and skills in drug administration: A qualitative study

Abstract

Context: Nursing interns are expected to practice safe medication administration. Pharmacology courses in their undergraduate education prepare them for safe medication administration. Most interns are challenged by the practical implementation of theoretical concepts in pharmacology. Aims: The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of nursing interns with the application of medication knowledge and skills in clinical practice settings. Settings and Design: A qualitative descriptive design was used in health science university in Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods: face-to-face in-depth interviews with nursing interns recruited through purposeful sampling in a health science university in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from December 2019 to January 2020 following Institutional Review Board approval. Statistical Analysis Used: Graneheim inductive approach was used for the content analysis of the data. Standard principles of trustworthiness were applied. Results: Two major themes emerged as “perceived readiness” and “bracing attributes.” There were two subthemes within each theme, which were populated by 13–23 statements. Conclusions: Nursing interns described certain challenges with the application of knowledge and skills in medication administration. Self-perceived lack of knowledge underlined description of most experiences. Learning acquired with case studies, classroom interactions, clinical exposure, and simulation, in undergraduate education was acknowledged in the context of retention of knowledge.