Nursing home drug errors remain hidden

A new study suggests that while nursing home staffers know about virtually all medication errors that occur at their facility, only 5 percent of errors ever get reported to facility managers. To conduct the study, which was recently published in Nursing Forum, a University of Missouri-Columbia nursing researcher reviewed communication patterns, leadership styles and relationships between staff members at five nursing homes. The researcher found that nursing team members were frustrated and burned out. Many nurses felt that care management was disorganized, weren't sure what leaders expected of them, and didn't know what had happened in previous shifts. Given these frustrations, nurses were very reluctant to report medication errors to their managers. Most simply didn't want to know if they'd made a medication mistake, despite the potentially serious consequences. To address these problems, administrators need create a "culture of safety," and solicit feedback and communication from staff on obstacles they face.

To learn more about the study:
- see this University of Missouri release

Related Article:
Seniors at risk for drug interactions. Article

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