What happens during nurses’ medication work in acute care: an observational study from one
hospital in Iceland
Sammanfattning
The importance of nurses being able to carry out medication work uninterrupted is increasingly
identified and emphasized. However,
the actual conditions during medication work of nurses are less known. This paper sheds light on
what happens during medication work of
nurses in acute care. An observational study was carried out in four inpatient university hospital
units. Structured quantifiable measures were
collected on handheld computers as well as qualitative field notes recorded on digital recorders. Data
were gathered during 8 whole shifts.
Participants used 17% of their working time for medication related work. On average their work during
that time was disrupted 11.4 times per
shift. The most frequent influencing factor the nurses encountered was non-self initiated
communication by a coworker during medication
preparation. Nurses spend a substantial part of their working time on medication preparation and
administration; work which requires their
full attention. However, their attention is frequently shifted between work activities and factors
influencing their work, increasing the risk of
medication errors. Findings indicate an urgent need to minimize the risks and the financial costs due
to disruptions caused by untimely
communication, lack of information and material resources in place during medication related work of
nurses in acute care.