Instructions for Assessment Task 2:
Instructions for Assessment Task 2:
PICO Question: Within the hospital setting, does implementing a team-based nursing approach, compared to traditional individual nursing, decrease the incidence of medication errors.?
Assessment Task 1 for reference, as Assessment Task 2 is following on from this:
SLIDE 1
Hello everyone. My name is Brooke Cartwright, and I am an Enrolled Nurse and 3rd-year Registered Nursing student.
Have you ever considered how the way nurses work together might impact patient safety, particularly in preventing medication errors?
SLIDE 2
Today I want to discuss the impact of team nursing on the incidence of medication errors. During my clinical placements I observed many nurses becoming complacent when working alone, especially when it came to medication administration. Then when they became my preceptors, they followed all policies to a tee. This got me thinking that if nurses where always working together would they be more vigilant and be able to pick up on each others mistakes that may be missed when working alone.
SLIDE 3
As an Enrolled Nurse in Aged Care, I have firsthand experience with the traditional individual nursing approach. My day includes administering medications to over 30 residents, which can create a stressful environment and affect concentration, increasing the risk of medication errors. The same challenge exists in hospital settings, where the patient load may be smaller, but the acuity is much higher.
During a recent clinical placement, I noticed that when nurses work with students, they become more focused on "following the rules." They consistently double-checked that I adhered to the 10 rights of medication administration and helped me catch any mistakes. On the other hand, I was able to assist them by identifying potential errors during medication preparation and administration and on several occasions, I helped prevent errors that might have otherwise occurred.
This collaborative approach aligns with the Medication Safety Standard outlined in the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, which emphasizes the need to "describe, implement, and monitor systems to reduce the occurrence of medication incidents, and improve the safety and quality of medication use" (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2021). However, my observations of nurses becoming complacent when working alone did not align with this evidence-based standard that all nurses should follow. This sparked my interest in researching how team-based nursing could better support safe medication administration.
SLIDE 4
Through my own experiences, I know how serious medication errors can be. It risks patient safety and impacts their overall health outcomes. By adopting a team-based nursing model, workloads can be evenly distributed, communication and collaboration can improve, which can reduce medication errors.
Research over the past decade supports the rational for improvement. For instance, a systematic review on team-based care in hospital settings found that such models are associated with improved patient outcomes, including reduced medication errors and enhanced patient satisfaction (Will et al., 2019). Another study highlights that team nursing significantly decreased medication errors, suggesting that collaborative care models can have a profound impact on clinical error rates (Quaranta, 2024). The World Health Organization (2010) also emphasizes that collaborative care improves clinical error rates, further supporting the transition to team-based models.
Additionally, Canadian nurse leaders have noted that effective teamwork reduces the incidence of missed nursing care and errors while improving outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers (Prentice et al., 2022). A systematic review published in JBI Evidence Implementation (2012) revealed that the implementation of a team nursing model resulted in a significant decrease in medication errors and adverse intravenous outcomes, reinforcing the potential benefits of this approach.
Furthermore, another study found that 43.7% of nurses did not communicate with other nurses when faced with doubt during medication administration, which could have been avoided through a team-based approach (Tsegaye et al., 2020).
Collectively, these studies and reports strongly support the need for more definitive research into the transition to a team-based nursing model. This research could help significantly reduce medication errors and improve overall patient care, aligning with current evidence-based practices and policies aimed at enhancing healthcare quality and safety.
SLIDE 5
I now want to present to you my research question.
Within the hospital setting, does implementing a team-based nursing approach, compared to traditional individual nursing, decrease the incidence of medication errors.
This question is crucial because it directly addresses the need for safer patient care practices and the role of different nursing models in achieving that goal. As nurses, our practice revolves around Evidence Based Practice, and any improvements that can be made to reduce medication errors will have a direct impact on patient outcomes and the quality of care we provide.
SLIDE 6
To answer my research question, I propose a quantitative study. I will conduct a quasi-experimental study. I will randomly select two wards within a hospital where one ward will implement the team-based nursing model, and the second ward will continue using the traditional nursing model. This would provide measurable and comparable data on the incidence of medication errors between the two wards. Using a quantitative study is justified as it allows for a larger sample size, meaning the data can be generalised to a broader population and findings can be widely applied (Rahman, 2020). The rigorous framework of quantitative studies also allows for the isolation of variables, helping create links between cause and effect and provides the ability to prove or disprove the hypothesis (Weng Marc Lim, 2024).
Data collection will involve collecting data of the number of reported medication incidents in both hospital wards over a three-month period. Additionally, I will conduct anonymous surveys on the nurses working in the selected wards, regarding the number of medication errors they made within the same period. Anonymous surveys will allow for self-reporting of errors, which can reveal patterns or trends that may not be evident in formal reports. This can also ensure honesty and accuracy in responses, reducing the likelihood of underreporting due to fear of reprimand. Overall, these methods are efficient, cost-effective, and provide the objective, numerical data necessary to draw reliable conclusions (Weng Marc Lim, 2024). By using a quantitative method, the study can establish strong, evidence-based links between team-nursing and safe medication administration.
SLIDE 7
In conclusion, this research is crucial for advancing evidence-based practice and improving patient safety. Through my experiences as an enrolled nurse in aged care and a Registered Nursing student, I have seen firsthand the potential benefits of a team-based nursing approach. By exploring and validating the effectiveness of this approach, we can make significant strides in reducing medication errors. As nurses, we have a responsibility to continually seek out ways to improve our practice, and adopting evidence-based strategies like team-based nursing is a critical step in that direction. This research will contribute to the growing body of evidence that outlines the profound impact that teamwork can have on patient safety.
I encourage all of you to support and engage with this research, as it could be a key factor in enhancing the quality of care in our healthcare system.
References used in assessment task 1, relevant ones can also be used in assessment task 2:
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2021). National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (2nd ed.). https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-05/national_safety_and_quality_health_service_nsqhs_standards_second_edition_-_updated_may_2021.pdf
Fernandez, R., Johnson, M., Tran, D. T., & Miranda, C. (2012). Models of care in nursing: a systematic review. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 10(4), 324337. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-1609.2012.00287.x
Prentice, D., Moore, J., Fernandes, B., & Larabie, E. (2022). Nursing care delivery models and intraprofessional collaborative care: Canadian nurse leaders perspectives. SAGE Open Nursing, 8(8), 23779608221133648. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608221133648
Quaranta, N. (2024). Team Nursing: An Innovative Approach to Address the Nursing Shortage. MEDSURG Nursing, 33(2). https://web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&sid=f5f5b9fb-77d6-4412-94c1-5198a4565d8c%40redis
Rahman, S. (2020). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches and Methods in Language Testing and Assessment Research: a Literature Review. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(1), 102112. https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/16598
Tsegaye, D., Alem, G., Tessema, Z., & Alebachew, W. (2020). Medication Administration Errors and Associated Factors Among Nurses. International Journal of General Medicine, 13(13), 16211632. https://doi.org/10.2147/ijgm.s289452
Weng Marc Lim. (2024). What Is Quantitative Research? An Overview and Guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ). https://doi.org/10.1177/14413582241264622
Will, K. K., Johnson, M. L., & Lamb, G. (2019). Team-Based Care and Patient Satisfaction in the Hospital Setting: A Systematic Review. Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, 6(2), 158171. https://doi.org/10.17294/2330-0698.1695
World Health Organization. (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education & collaborative practice. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/framework-for-action-on-interprofessional-education-collaborative-practice
