Evaluation of factors relative to medication errors

Medication errors rank second to falls as a cause of lawsuits involving nurses. Medication errors may be insignificant, without any apparent adverse reactions, or extremely hazardous, causing permanent damage or even death. Although medication errors are not new to nursing, the recent expansion of drug therapy has complicated the task of medication administration, causing much more potential for error. New drugs are more powerful and toxic, having profound effects on the body, to the point of changing body metabolism. As a result, there is greater responsibility placed on those involved in drug therapy. This study examined the effect of age, work experience, and education level on the occurrence of medication errors for registered nurses working on medical/surgical nursing departments at a not-for-profit health care facility in a metropolitan area. Descriptive statistics used for analysis determined that no statistical significance existed between the independent variables of age, work experience, and education level, and the dependent variable of the occurrence of medication errors.