Exploring Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes about Medication Errors in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Setting

Abstract

Background: Medication errors are a major concern in healthcare settings and can lead to serious patient harm, increased hospital stay, and higher healthcare costs. Nurses working in emergency departments are at high risk of encountering medication errors because of workload, stress, and rapid clinical decision-making. Aim: The study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of nurses regarding medication errors in emergency departments of tertiary care hospitals. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was conducted among 135 nurses working in tertiary care hospitals. Purposive sampling technique was used for participant selection. Data were collected using an adopted structured questionnaire related to knowledge and attitude regarding medication errors. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 through descriptive statistics, reliability testing, and normality assessment. Results: The findings showed that 57.8% of nurses had average knowledge, 33.3% had low knowledge, and only 8.9% had high knowledge regarding medication errors. Female nurses represented 82.2% of participants. Most nurses identified workload, staff shortage, interruptions, and unclear medication orders as major contributing factors to medication errors. Negative attitude toward medication error reporting was observed among 54.1% of participants due to fear of blame, punishment, and legal consequences. Conclusion: The study concluded that nurses possessed average knowledge and negative attitudes toward medication error reporting. Educational interventions, supportive management, and non-punitive reporting systems are essential to improve medication safety practices.

Keywords: Medication errors, nurses, knowledge, attitude, emergency department, patient safety, reporting system.