Engaging Nursing Students in Quality Improvement: Teaching Safe Medication Administration.

BACKGROUND

Safety and reduction of errors during medication administration is a prominent focus in nursing and nursing education. Developing simulated medication administration experiences that include opportunities for nursing students to manage interruptions in a realistic environment can help improved critical thinking and reasoning for safe administration practices.

METHOD

Sophomore nursing students voluntarily participated in a quality improvement project examining nursing management of interruptions during medication administration. Students observed medication administration activities for episodes of interruptions and conducted surveys in a real-time format that encouraged decision-making dialogue.

RESULTS

After the project, student learning outcomes included improved identification of interruptions, prioritization, critical reasoning skills, and development of management techniques for better safety.

CONCLUSION

Incorporating real-world experiences that allow nursing students to identify and manage interruptions during medication administration foster development of critical thinking and interruption management techniques. .