Focus group discussions of registered nurses’ perceptions of challenges in the medication administration process

Abstract

Medication administration (MA) holds a great threat to patient safety, as MA errors remain a global problem. Nurses are key role players in the MA process and can give valuable information from the grassroots level. The aim of the present study was to describe registered nurses’ perceptions related to challenges in the MA process. Focus group interviews with registered nurses (n = 20) in two central hospitals in Finland were conducted in 2015. Inductive content analysis was performed. Nurses described multiple challenges during MA, which made the process demanding. These were organized under five themes: (i) medications; (ii) collaboration between health‐care professionals; (iii) resources and work environment; (iv) skills and education; and (v) patient‐related factors. The MA process is prone to errors, and registered nurses described many challenges related to MA. While nurses are responsible for their various work‐related tasks and the maintenance of patient safety through applicable procedures and effective collaboration, health systems and hospital management should be stewards of patient safety by ensuring adequate staffing levels and providing educational resources related to the MA process