Nursing Medical Errors and Improving Patient Outcomes

Nurses are tasked with a daunting responsibility to ensure positive patient outcomes
within the medicare realm.Notably, there has been an increased proliferation of nursing-induced
medical errors in the subsequent éadministration of core healthcare tenets.According to the
American Nursing Association(ANA,) an estimated 100,000 patients die annually as a result of
errors in medical procedures and subsequent drug transmission.Relatively, this assignment seeks
to explore the origin and nature of nursing errors related to intravenous(IV) drug transfusion,
and evidence based practices (EBP) and interventions associated to IV transfusion errors from
peer reviewed resources.Furthermore, the assignment will explore the quality improvement
techniques and the role of nurses and allied medical personell in the practice of these practices.
Case Scenario/Medical Administration error
Essentially, the occurence of medical errors in healthcare institutions attracts the attention
of diverse stakeholders.One conspicuous example of nursing medical administration errors was
recorded by Kohn(2000) and involved a new nurse who made a grave IV error for a
hypersensitive cardiac surgery patient.Essentially, the patient had been admitted to the institution
and had been slated for surgery over a hypersensitive disorder.The new nurse assembled three IV
devices but was unclear about the assemblage dynamics of one IV device as she had not come
across it in her baccalaureate studies.Eventually, the doctor who was to perform the procedure
was late from performing another procedure and hastily signed the report annotated by the
nurse.During the surgery, the doctor realized that one of the solutions was not flowing and had to
double check the IV device setup.Ideally, the nurse had not turned on one of the clamps in the IV
device she was unfamiliar with.However, the doctor and other nursing personell were able to
salvage the situation and applyt the right mechanisms.Eventually, the surgery proceeded with
success.

3

Evidence Based Practices
According to Kohn(2000), majority of the medical administration errors are framed into
personal era, but are affiliated to existential health systems.Healthcare is a large industry
devolved into machine systems and human operators.In many instances, medicare accidents
stem from human-based errors.Based on Kohn’s estiamtes, about 70 % od medical
administration accidents are attributed to human error, while the rest is occurs as a resut of
machine errors.In the above scenario, a candid analysis and research conducted by the ‘mortality
and morbidity’ committee revealed that the device had failed because of three main factors;
a.)weak O springs, b.)unprecedented cold weather, and c.)alterations in the consumative roles of
the current contractor, an event that brought about changes in device design.
In a bid to combat the proliferation of medical administration errors, researchers came up
with vital operational interventions in the medical administration realm of nursing and
medicare.Perrow’s(1984) DEPOSE(Design,  Equipment Procedures, Operators, Supplies and
materials and Environment)framework is one such vital EBP intervention.Ideally, the model
identifies weaknesses in the working paradigm of core healthcare systems like IV devices.The
universality of healthcare further augments the tenets of Perrow’s DEPOSE model.Ideally,
Kohn(2000) offers that health stakeholders must tentatively vet the production design of medical
transmission devices.On the other hand, operators must factor in the nature sorrounding
environs,as varied weather conditions affect the perfomance of various gadgets.
Effective, timely training is another vital interventon that could help buffer medical
administration errors.For instance, if the nurse who made the IV regulator error had been
effectively oriented on the design and usage dynamics of the device, it would have prevented a

4
fatal error.Relatively, healthcare institutions must implement a clear, concise paradigm to check
the anaesthetic materials used for surgery and medical transfusion purposes.Hence, this aspect
also ties to the devoice acquisition process.Subsequent vetting of the effifacy of devices
incorporated serves the purpose of ensuring all materials are efficient, up-to standard and
incapable of malfunctioning (Allen, 2013).Relatively, another conspicuous EBP affiliated to
acquisition relates to the diversity of models incorporated in the initial logistical process.Ideally,
requesting for same-model devices alleviates the probability of errors pertaining usage.Finally,
appropriate staffing and scheduling of nurse roles should be done within a relatively manageable
paradigm to minimize human errors caused by fatigue.
Improving Coordination
The effective flow of information in a healthcare setting is paramount to achieving
quality patient care interventions.According to Kohn(2000), healthcare management officials
must develop systems that accentuate a hand-over process that is untainted by human
error.Often, nursing roles are interrelated with other medicare activities like orthodontology and
varied surgical operations.One vital intervention that has proven vital in the information flow
paradigm is the use of sign sheets that coordinate patient information between outgoing and
incoming nursing professionals (Allen, 2013).Nurses must be taught to effectively update
incoming doctors the current patient status in an official institutional sheet that must be signed
during check -out. Secondly, nurses must probe the consequent medical history condition of the
patient to ensure the application of medical infusions.

5

Stakeholders
The main stakeholders in this scenario are the nurses, doctors, hospital management, the
government and the public.Ideally, nurses must ensure that their practice aligns to core, high
quality practices in the disbursement of medical transfusion duties.On the other hand, doctors
and operators must ensure that medical equipment is up-to-date and performs efficiently.On the
other hand, the coordination between hospital management and government tenets ensures
acquisition of quality, standard equipment (Allen, 2013).The government for instance,
incorporates this by appointing a health standards and regulation body to vet, and calibrate the
effectiveness of medical equipment, and the subsequent perfection of nurses to perform various
medicare activities.
In conclusion, there has been an increased proliferation of nursing-induced medical
errors in the subsequent éadministration of core healthcare tenets. Majority of the medical
administration errors are framed into personal era, but are affiliated to existential health systems.
Ideally, 70 % of medical administration accidents are attributed to human error, while the rest
isoccurs as a result of machine errors. Effective, timely training is another vital interventon that
could help buffer medical administration errors. Finally, healthcare management officials must
develop institutional systems that accentuate a hand-over process that is clear and up-to date in
order to improve patient healthcare outcomes.

6

References
Allen, M. (2013). How many die from medical mistakes in U.S. hospitals? Retrieved from
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/09/20/224507654/how-many-die-from-
medical-mistakes-in-u-s-hospitals.
Kohn, L. T., Corrigan, J., & Donaldson, M. S. (Eds.). (2000). To err is human: Building a safer
health system. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Perrow, Charles, Normal Accidents, New York: Basic Books, 1984