Reasons for errors in medication administration are complex, and healthcare facilities are on constant vigil to find ways to reduce medication errors and subsequent harm to patients. Hepler and Segal (2003) discuss the idea of medication errors as result of system failure. The authors describe system as a set of interdependent elements interacting to achieve common aim (Hepler & Segal, 2003, p. 49), and agree that elements of systems may include individuals, equipment, and techniques. Nurses, pharmacists, physicians, other healthcare providers, and the patients themselves are all involved in this system. The mnemonic device described in this column can help to improve the safety of nurses' practice by assisting them to remember the many facets of safe techniques for IV medication preparation, administration, and use of the various IV pumps.
In Brief This phenomenological study explored the interactions between new nursing graduate orientees and their preceptors during the orientees' professional orientation. Six themes of caring and four themes of noncaring preceptor behaviors emerged through participants' journals and interviews. The six themes of caring preceptor behaviors included advocating, welcoming, including, autonomy with appropriate preceptor presence, making human connections, and genuine feedback. Four themes emerged indicating noncaring preceptor behaviors and included unwelcoming, autonomy with preceptor overpresence or underpresence, and nongenuine feedback. The author explored the interactions between new nursing graduate orientees and their preceptors during the orientees' professional orientation.
It is vital to keep faculty and students up-to-date on the latest electronic medical record and practice changes. A large Midwest academic center found that an effective and efficient way of communicating these changes to 10 affiliated nursing programs was through the Blackboard Inc. electronic online program. The tips learned may prove helpful for other health care institutions when deciding on a process to meet this contractual element.
