Perceptions of the Impact of “Smart Pumps” on Nurses and Nursing Care Provided

Abstract

Medication errors occur frequently in hospital settings, creating harmful consequences for patients and families, as well as tremendous financial losses. “Smart pump” technology is one means by which these errors can be reduced. The study reported here is a part of a three phase study and focused on the perceptions of nurses (n=512) in a tertiary care hospital regarding the impact of the implementation of “smart pump” technology and its impact on nursing care provided, medication errors, and job satisfaction. Sociotechnical System Theory and the Life Patterns Model were used to frame the study. The Infusion System Perception Scale was used to assess demographic information, and perceptions of nurses on a 30-item five-point Likert scale. Results indicate that nurses perceived the “pump” increased safe medication administration, did not decrease the perception of the punitive nature of reporting medication errors and did not increase the nurse's workload, but did make routines easier. The “pump” was perceived to increase self-confidence but had no effect on use of the pharmacy staff. Findings suggest that the “pump” could be implemented in a variety of settings, regardless of the age, gender, and educational background of the nurses. The “pump” offers an effective approach to the reduction of intravenous medication errors.