The relationship between incidence and report of medication errors and working conditions.

BACKGROUND: Medication errors are considered to be a serious threat to patients' safety. Efforts to detect and prevent these errors have increased considerably in recent years. AIM: To determine the incidence and reporting rate of medication errors as reported by Iranian nurses and their relationship with work conditions in hospitals under the authority of Iran University of Medical Sciences. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out in six hospitals. Through a stratified multiple stage sampling, 300 nurses were selected. A researcher-constructed, three-part, self-report questionnaire was used to collect data regarding the nurses' medication errors, medication error reports and their perceived working conditions during the previous 3 months. The data were processed using descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance. FINDINGS: The mean of medication errors that nurses recalled was 19.5, and the mean of error reporting was 1.3 cases during the previous 3 months. The relationship between error incidence and work conditions as perceived by nurses was statistically significant (df = 3, P ≤ 0.0001); however, there was no significant relationship between reporting the occurred error and nurses' perceived work conditions (df = 3, P ≤ 0.255). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The establishment of an efficient reporting system, documentation of errors and removal of obstacles to reporting may result in reduced frequency of medication errors. Considering the relationship between medication error incidence and working conditions, it seems that creating a work condition in which nurses feel more comfortable and decreasing work tensions may pave the way to preventing nursing errors.

Iranian student nurses' experiences of clinical placement.

BACKGROUND: Nursing as a practice-based profession requires that student nurses learn how to become professional in the clinical environment. Many studies have addressed student nurses' clinical learning and related problems, but few have explored the whole clinical experience of being a student nurse. AIM: To understand and gain deeper insight into Iranian student nurses' lived experience of clinical placement. METHOD: Five student nurses were interviewed about their clinical experience during clinical placement. The researchers analysed the verbatim transcripts using van Manen's phenomenological methodology, keeping in mind the recommended six research activities. FINDINGS: Five themes emerged by which the phenomenon of clinical experience could be illustrated. These themes were: caring-orientated relationships, attractive aspects of clinical experience, finding oneself in the clinical milieu, being supportive to classmates, and actualizing potential. Fourteen subthemes expanded and clarified the meaning of these themes. CONCLUSION: The attention paid and acknowledgement given to 'caring' and 'knowledge' by the student nurses showed that they are progressing toward their ultimate goal of being professional nurses. The student nurses' awareness of 'what is going on there?' and also support from other significant people facilitates the students' adaptation process and guarantees this progress.