The role of nursing education in preventing medication errors in Botswana
Medication errors frequently feature in research world-wide. Although medication errors are also a concern in medicine and anesthesia, they have become a regular topic in nursing. In Botswana, a country challenged by shortage of both medications and professionals qualified to process and administer...
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doaj-d8fa32959f4b4968ac70e3afc0e406762020-11-24T21:47:12ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences2214-13912015-01-013C182310.1016/j.ijans.2015.06.001The role of nursing education in preventing medication errors in BotswanaWananani B. TshiamoMabedi KgositauEsther NtsayagaeMotshedisi B. SaboneMedication errors frequently feature in research world-wide. Although medication errors are also a concern in medicine and anesthesia, they have become a regular topic in nursing. In Botswana, a country challenged by shortage of both medications and professionals qualified to process and administer medications, as well as low levels of health literacy, the risk of medications errors should be even higher. In Botswana nurses are deployed in both acute and primary care settings taking an active part in prescription, transcription, dispensing and administration of medications. Pre-service nursing education must therefore ensure that students are equipped with knowledge and skills on medication management and prevention of medication errors to prepare them for safe practice. In this paper, the authors take stock of the extent to which nursing curricula address the prevention of medication errors, highlighting strengths and pinpointing weaknesses yet to be addressed. The exercise involved review of curricula at various levels of nursing education as well as nursing regulatory documents. Findings from the review were corroborated with published work on the subject. Recommendations for strengthening basic nursing curricula at both diploma and undergraduate levels’ coverage of medications errors are proposed. Also recommended are measures to improve the system in the practice arena as well as research to establish the magnitude of medication errors and their related risk factors in Botswana. The exercise is envisaged to improve patients’ safety and reduce the risk of litigation for nurses.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221413911500013XMedicationErrorPreventionNursing educationCurriculum |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Wananani B. Tshiamo Mabedi Kgositau Esther Ntsayagae Motshedisi B. Sabone |
spellingShingle |
Wananani B. Tshiamo Mabedi Kgositau Esther Ntsayagae Motshedisi B. Sabone The role of nursing education in preventing medication errors in Botswana International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences Medication Error Prevention Nursing education Curriculum |
author_facet |
Wananani B. Tshiamo Mabedi Kgositau Esther Ntsayagae Motshedisi B. Sabone |
author_sort |
Wananani B. Tshiamo |
title |
The role of nursing education in preventing medication errors in Botswana |
title_short |
The role of nursing education in preventing medication errors in Botswana |
title_full |
The role of nursing education in preventing medication errors in Botswana |
title_fullStr |
The role of nursing education in preventing medication errors in Botswana |
title_full_unstemmed |
The role of nursing education in preventing medication errors in Botswana |
title_sort |
role of nursing education in preventing medication errors in botswana |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences |
issn |
2214-1391 |
publishDate |
2015-01-01 |
description |
Medication errors frequently feature in research world-wide. Although medication errors are also a concern in medicine and anesthesia, they have become a regular topic in nursing. In Botswana, a country challenged by shortage of both medications and professionals qualified to process and administer medications, as well as low levels of health literacy, the risk of medications errors should be even higher.
In Botswana nurses are deployed in both acute and primary care settings taking an active part in prescription, transcription, dispensing and administration of medications. Pre-service nursing education must therefore ensure that students are equipped with knowledge and skills on medication management and prevention of medication errors to prepare them for safe practice.
In this paper, the authors take stock of the extent to which nursing curricula address the prevention of medication errors, highlighting strengths and pinpointing weaknesses yet to be addressed. The exercise involved review of curricula at various levels of nursing education as well as nursing regulatory documents. Findings from the review were corroborated with published work on the subject. Recommendations for strengthening basic nursing curricula at both diploma and undergraduate levels’ coverage of medications errors are proposed. Also recommended are measures to improve the system in the practice arena as well as research to establish the magnitude of medication errors and their related risk factors in Botswana. The exercise is envisaged to improve patients’ safety and reduce the risk of litigation for nurses. |
topic |
Medication Error Prevention Nursing education Curriculum |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221413911500013X |
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