Medication errors by nursing students on clinical practice: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: Medication errors are a serious concern and often due to multiple factors. The largest workforce in healthcare are nurses. Nurses play a major role in medication management especially in medication administration. To become proficient in safe medication administration undergraduate nurses, need to be provided with adequate training in clinical settings. Aim This integrative review aims to identify literature that reports medication errors including prevalence, types, causes and barriers of reporting whilst nursing students are on clinical placement. METHODS: A review was conducted of five electronic databases to identify original empirical research published between 2007 and 2021. An integrative review method using Strengthening the Report of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines was used to direct this review. FINDINGS: The initial search yielded 1574 articles. A total of six full text articles met the eligibility criteria were reviewed. The prevalence of medication errors made by nursing students on clinical placement was 6-1.1%. Causes were due to student, education and environmental factors. Types of errors medication calculations, incorrect name of patient, wrong medication and omission of medication administration. DISCUSSION: This review confirms previous studies with 10-5% of all errors by nurses are medication errors in hospitals. Strategies to improve medication administration are increasing staffing, communication, education and supervision of students. CONCLUSION: Medication administration is a multifactorial process that involves medication skills. Closer supervision, improved education on technology and consistency is required in number of rights of medication administration.

Australian nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards pressure injury prevention: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess student nurses' knowledge of and attitudes towards pressure injury prevention evidence-based guidelines. BACKGROUND: Pressure injuries are a substantial problem in many healthcare settings causing major harm to patients, and generating major economic costs for health service providers. Nurses have a crucial role in the prevention of pressure injuries across all health care settings. DESIGN: A multi-centered, cross-sectional study was conducted using a paper-based questionnaire with undergraduate nursing students enrolled in seven universities with campuses across five Australian states (Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania). METHODS: Data were collected from nursing students using two validated instruments (Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Instrument and Attitude Toward Pressure Ulcer Prevention Instrument), to measure students' pressure injury prevention knowledge and attitudes. RESULTS: Students reported relatively low pressure injury prevention knowledge scores (51%), and high attitude scores (78%). Critical issues in this study were nursing students' lack of knowledge about preventative strategies to reduce the amount and duration of pressure/shear, and lower confidence in their capability to prevent pressure injury. Level of education and exposure to working in a greater number of different clinical units were significantly related to pressure injury prevention knowledge and attitude scores. CONCLUSION: The study findings highlight the need to implement a comprehensive approach to increasing Australian nursing students' pressure injury prevention and management knowledge, as well as ensuring that these students have adequate experiences in clinical units, with a high focus on pressure injury prevention to raise their personal capability.

Undergraduate student nurses' self-reported preparedness for practice.

BACKGROUND: Tertiary nurse education programmes aim to produce novice nurses able to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia competency standards for registration. On the other hand, employers expect graduate nurses to not only be competent and able to function safely and independently but also to be ready to "hit the ground running" in relation to providing clinical care. AIMS: The study aimed to explore the perceptions of third-year nursing students enrolled in their final semester with regard to their preparedness for practice. METHOD: Following their last clinical placement, all third-year nursing students at a regional northern Australian university were emailed a link to an online version of the Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey tool and invited to participate in the study. A total of 113 questionnaires were completed from the sample of 235, giving a response rate of 48%. RESULTS: The majority of students reported feeling prepared for practice and felt that simulation experiences were helpful in attaining this state. Confidence in caring for multiple patients was inversely associated with age indicating higher levels of confidence in younger nursing students. Expanded placements, increased use of simulation for clinical skills practice, smaller clinical skills class sizes and modern equipment were identified as areas for improvement to facilitate and enhance students' levels of confidence and readiness for practice. CONCLUSIONS: Students in this study highly valued clinical placements as a method of increasing their levels of perceived preparedness to practice independently after graduation. Caring for multiple patients involves a high level of complexity and a learning curve is indicated in which confidence and competence is likely to grow with experience.