Unsafe medication administration experience in nursing practice at Public Hospitals of Harari region, eastern Ethiopia: Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Background: The unsafe medication administration is one of the most medication related problems which causes harm and death to the patients and threatens the healthcare system. Medication administration is predominantly the role of nurses. This study was aimed to explore the nurse’s experience of unsafe medication administration at public hospitals in Harari region, eastern Ethiopia. Methods: A phenomenological study design was conducted. The data were collected among 11 nurses from March 1 to 31, 2019. The tape recorder and note taking was used to collect the data by in-depth interview and key informant interview method. Open code software version 3.4 was used to write memos, coding and categorizing under their inductive thematic areas. Thematic analysis method were used. Result: The study had explored nurse’s experience of unsafe medication administration. Nurses have reported that they have ever experienced unsafe medication administration like, wrong time, medication, patient and self-stick injury during their practice. i) Organizational factors: inadequate resource, lack of clear policy and job description, lack of supervision and poor collaboration among staffs. ii) Precondition challenges: expensive medication, frequently changed and too much prescription for a single patient, new medications with limited information. iii) Individual nurses factors: work absenteeism, lack of training and knowledge gap.Conclusion: The organizational culture, precondition challenges and individual nurse’s factors was found to be a major factors linked to unsafe medication administration practice. So tailored intervention is needed to reduce the unsafe medication administration in nursing practice.