NR-224 Week 5 Assignment: Medication Safety Case Study Analysis

Course Context

Fundamentals students develop skills in recognizing and preventing medication-related risks through detailed case examination. Safe medication practices form a core element of patient protection in clinical environments. The task requires application of basic nursing principles to real-world error situations.

Case Scenario

A 68-year-old patient named John Smith receives a prescription for 10 mg of lisinopril daily to manage hypertension. During the morning medication pass, the nurse mistakenly administers 10 mg of glipizide, a diabetes medication with a similar-sounding name, after confusing the two drug names on the medication administration record. The patient develops severe hypoglycemia and requires immediate intervention with glucose administration and close monitoring.

Instructions

Write an analysis that addresses the following points in essay format. Identify the specific type of medication error that occurred. Discuss the main contributing factors evident in the scenario. Apply the nursing process to outline immediate responses and longer-term prevention approaches. Explain how technology or standardized protocols might reduce similar incidents in future practice.

Submission Guidelines

• Prepare a 900-1200 word paper formatted according to APA 7th edition guidelines.
• Include a title page, introduction, body paragraphs organized by topic, conclusion, and reference list.
• Support the analysis with references from scholarly sources published within the last eight years.
• Submit the document through the course portal before the specified deadline.
• Maintain academic integrity with original content and proper attribution for all ideas.

Rubric

1. Identification of Error Type and Description (25 points): Accurate naming of the error category along with clear details drawn directly from the scenario.
2. Analysis of Contributing Factors (25 points): Thorough examination of human, environmental, and system-related causes with logical connections to the case details.
3. Application of the Nursing Process (30 points): Complete use of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation to address both immediate actions and preventive measures.
4. Writing Mechanics, APA Format, and References (20 points): Clear organization, correct grammar and spelling, proper citations, and adherence to formatting standards.

Nurses check the five rights of medication administration with every dose given. Errors frequently result from interruptions or fatigue during shifts. Barcode technology verifies the right patient and drug at the bedside. Implementation of such systems has led to substantial reductions in administration mistakes across hospitals.

(Rodziewicz et al., 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/)

References

Rodziewicz, T.L., Houseman, B. and Hipskind, J.E. (2023) Medical error reduction and prevention. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/.

Tariq, R.A., Vashisht, R., Sinha, A. and Scherbak, Y. (2023) Medication dispensing errors and prevention. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519065/.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2024) Medication errors and adverse drug events. PSNet Primer. Available at: https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primer/medication-errors-and-adverse-drug-events.

Sutherland, A., Canobbio, M., Clarke, J., Randall, M., Skelland, T. and Weston, E. (2020) Incidence and prevalence of intravenous medication errors in the UK: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 27(6), pp.340-345. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/ejhpharm-2018-001624.