Potential causes of medication errors: perceptions of Serbian nurses.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the most common contributing factors to medication errors in everyday practice of Serbian nurses. Nurses have the key role in medication, and it is very important that they understand why errors occur. This research study was a cross-sectional study in five healthcare institutions. The sample was 965 nurses. A specially designed questionnaire was used as the research instrument. The most dominant contributing factor of medication errors was insufficient number of nurses. Interestingly other dominant factors given in literature were not recognized in this research study. The study results confirm that the recommendations we find in literature cannot be simply copied and implemented into the existing system, but can be used as a starting point for further research. The obtained data were compared with the studies of the countries with different healthcare systems and different educational structures of nurses. The results of the study imply that healthcare institutions have to take the initiative and the responsibility for teaching safe medication use during formal education, as well as in clearly planned programmes of continuous education for nurses. To reduce errors to the least possible level, it is important that nurses clearly define what an error is and recognize the causes and the importance of reporting and analysing them. Systemic practices are required in the health system in Serbia and the culture of patients' safety accepted as the common goal and imperative of everyday practice.