Improving Nursing Medication Administration Practice in Inpatient Units: A Quality Improvement Project

Abstract

Background: Nurses play a unique and crucial role in medication administration. In hospital units, the medication administration process is frequently viewed as a series of sequential steps, beginning with prescribing, then dispensing, and finally administering to the patient. Local problem: Data from 2020 indicated improper nursing medication administration practices in the hospital's inpatient units, despite adherence to medication safety standards and policies, so the current project was created to improve nursing medication administration compliance. Methods: A quality improvement project was conducted using the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence Revised Publication Guidelines (SQUIRE 2.0). Common quality improvement tools were used, including the fishbone diagram, Focus PDCA, and the General Medication Administration (GMA) instrument. Interventions: Staff audit interviews and observations, as well as engaging and educating processes, were conducted weekly. A final medication administration compliance assessment was performed on the staff. Results: The present project found high medication administration compliance and an excessive enhancement of awareness among nurses related to medication administration. Conclusion: This quality improvement project summarizes the steps of using quality improvement tools to find and treat improper medication administration practices. As is obvious, there has been improvement in nursing compliance.