NURS_FPX4020__Assessment1_1.docx NURS-FPX4020 Enhancing Quality and Safety Capella Uni

NURS_FPX4020__Assessment1_1.docx  NURS-FPX4020   Enhancing Quality and Safety  Capella University  Improving Quality of Care and Patient Safety  NURS-FPX4020  Summary  Patient safety is one of the topmost important responsibilities for healthcare professionals worldwide. As healthcare professionals, it is our duty to provide safe and effective care without causing harm. One of the most preventable safety issues are medication errors. According to Pop et al. (2016), "The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) defines a medication error as any error occurring in the medication use process, a "preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm" (pg. 1). Medication errors can cause adverse effects or even death (da Silva, 2016). There is a process called the six rights to medication administration: the right person, the right medication, the right dose, the right route, the right time, and the right documentation. Errors can occur at any time within the medication process from prescribing, transcribing, dispensing, administration, monitoring, or even patient compliance. It takes an entire health care team to make sure patients are free from medication errors.  Factors Leading to Medication Errors  There are many factors that could lead to medication errors, for example, written orders, medication reconciliation not being completed, polypharmacy, lack of medication knowledge, lack of interprofessional collaboration, nurse fatigue, interruptions, heavy patient loads, an