Malpractic in nursing: The experience in Turkey

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 562 nurses to find out nurses' opinions and practices concerning medical errors and to measure their tendency to make medical mistakes. Data were collected using a questionnaire and Tendency for Medical Errors Scale and evaluated using Student's t and one-way ANOVA tests. The average total score of the participating nurses was 4.4 ± 0.3. It was observed that 36.1% nurses made medical errors, and all of those nurses making mistakes have stated that they have made medication errors. It was found that nurses with higher education and working in the intensive care unit had a lower tendency, whereas those working in children's hospital had a higher tendency to make medical mistakes (P < 0.05). It might be recommended that the working conditions of nurses be improved, and nurses in general and particularly, those working with pediatric patients be given regular training to prevent drug administration errors.

Identification of factors which affect the tendency towards and attitudes of emergency unit nurses to make medical errors

“…In a study conducted in Turkey, 112 cases involving medical errors in emergency services were evaluated and it was determined that medical errors were committed in 55 cases (Turkan & Tuğcu, ). Medical errors may reduce patients’ trust in healthcare professionals and increase dissatisfaction with the healthcare system (Karadağ, Ovayolu, Kiliç, Ovayolu, & Gölüüce, ). Medical errors indicate that the working conditions at the institution are poor and that patient safety culture is not well established.…”

“…Medical errors indicate that the working conditions at the institution are poor and that patient safety culture is not well established. It is presumed that reporting medical errors that result from the healthcare system or the institution, whether they bring harm to the patient or not, can prevent them from happening (Karadağ et al., ; Yaprak & Intepeler, ).…”

Nurses’ Perception of Factors Contributing to Medication Administration Errors

“…Patient safety and quality care are key aspects and the mean goals of effective health care systems. Safe medication administration is considered a vital indicator of health care quality (Karada et al, 2015;Salami et al, 2019). Medication errors are the most common types of adverse events for patients admitted to the hospital.…”

‘Accentuate the positive’: Taking advice from a 1940s song

“…To reduce the likelihood of health care‐associated infections, we emphasize routine preventive practices such as hand hygiene and oral care; we target ‘safe’ administration of medications because of the frequently reported errors and the potential deleterious impacts of wrong patient, drug, dose, route or time. We have an enormous concern, and focus, on errors and near‐miss events, and whole systems dedicated to recording these. Despite the mountains of literature on the value of errors as improvement opportunities and the harm of perpetuating punitive attitudes towards them, we continue management of risk by retribution.…”

“…For example, perceiving transformational characteristics amongst leaders is linked with staff reporting ‘organizational citizenship behaviour, innovative performance, work engagement, job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment’, all characteristics likely to accompany greater nurse–patient engagement. When nurses spend more time with their patients, adverse events may be less likely, as lack of contact time with patients is blamed . More time with patients means greater opportunities for health education, and when nurses teach patients, patients perceive they receive better care .…”