A nurse is serving on a continuous quality improvement (CQI) committee that has been assigned to develop a program to reduce the number of medication administration errors following a sentinel event at the facility. Which of the following strategies should the committee plan to initiate first?
A.
Require staff nurses to demonstrate competency by passing a medication administration examination
B.
Provide an in-service on medication administration to at the nurses
C.
Develop a quality improvement program for nurses involved in medication administration errors
D.
Renew the events lead up to each medication administration error
The correct answer is:
D. Review the events leading up to each medication administration error
Explanation:
- D. Review the events leading up to each medication administration error: Before implementing any strategies, it’s crucial to understand the root causes of the medication administration errors. Reviewing the events leading up to the errors will help the CQI committee identify specific issues and areas for improvement. This understanding is essential for developing effective solutions and preventing future errors.
- A. Require staff nurses to demonstrate competency by passing a medication administration examination: While competency assessments are important, they should come after understanding the root causes of the errors. Addressing the underlying issues first will ensure that any competency requirements are targeted and relevant.
- B. Provide an in-service on medication administration to the nurses: Training and in-services are valuable, but they are most effective when based on a thorough understanding of the errors and their causes. This strategy should follow the analysis of the error events.
- C. Develop a quality improvement program for nurses involved in medication administration errors: Developing a program is a good step but should be based on the findings from the review of error events. This ensures the program is targeted and addresses the specific issues identified.
Therefore, D. Review the events leading up to each medication administration error should be the initial step to accurately address and reduce medication administration errors.