Nursing Students' Knowledge, Personality Traits, and Self-Efficacy Related to Medication Administration Error.

BACKGROUND

Nursing education influences medication administration practices, which involve clinical decision making and risk perceptions.

METHOD

This mixed-methods concurrent nested study explored the relationship among knowledge, personality traits, and self-efficacy related to medication administration error in fourth-year, prelicen-sure nursing students ( = 60) who were recruited from three campuses of a large university.

RESULTS

Results indicated low mean knowledge (70.75) and neuroticism (2.44) scores, and high mean self-efficacy and confidence (5.78) and conscientiousness (4.51) scores. Conscientiousness was correlated with both knowledge ( = .271, = .036) and neuroticism (r = -.313, = .015). Thematic analysis yielded four themes: nature of risk perceptions, more opportunities to learn, experiences with medication administration error, and intrinsic characteristics influence errors. Convergence was evident in both knowledge and personality data; self-efficacy/confidence and risk perceptions data diverged.

CONCLUSION

Knowledge, personality traits, and self-efficacy appear to influence nursing students' risk perceptions of medication administration error, indicating an area for future research. .