EVALUATION OF THE OPINIONS ON PHARMACOLOGY EDUCATION OF UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS

Medication Errors of Student Nurses

Abstract

Medication errors during student nurse practical training are crucial due to their potential impact. Such errors can have serious consequences for patients. This underscores the need for healthcare institutions to regulate mentorship processes for nursing students. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of pharmacology education and medication errors made by nursing students under preceptor guidance.

This descriptive study involved 105 healthcare professionals, serving as preceptors for nursing students at a University Hospital. The entire population was surveyed without sampling, using the census method. Data was collected through a questionnaire, exploring preceptors’ views on nursing students’ medication training needs and observed medication errors between December 2017 and January 2018. SPSS software was used for data analysis.

80% of the participating preceptors were female, with 60% in the 18-25 age range. Among them, 44.8% had 1-5 years of service and took on mentoring and observational roles during nursing education. The most frequently observed medication errors among student nurses, as reported by preceptors, were missing documentation, inadequate monitoring, and improper aseptic techniques.

This study reveals that preceptor nurses, recognizing their legal responsibilities towards student nurses, offer more supervision during crucial medication preparation and post-administration monitoring stages. Consequently, errors related to post-administration monitoring were observed more frequently, while medication administration errors were observed less frequently.