Nurses’ attitudes and perceived barriers toward medication error reporting: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Medication errors are one of the leading threats to patient safety worldwide. Nurses play a key role in administering medications and reporting medication errors. Despite systems being put in place for the reporting of medication errors, such cultural, organizational and managerial barriers within hospital settings inhibit the full reporting of medication errors. The main aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of medication errors among nurses and examine their attitudes and perceived barriers toward medication error reporting. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 377 registered nurses working in a public tertiary hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The self-administered questionnaire comprised sections on sociodemographic characteristics and other variables of the study such as prevalence of medication errors, perceived barriers to reporting of medication errors and attitude towards reporting of medication errors. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were performed using SPSS. A p-value less than 0.05 has been considered for statistical significance. Medication errors were reported by 15.6% of nurses, with 67.2% of these errors being formally reported. Management-related barriers demonstrated the highest perceived impact on reporting. Significant associations were found between medication error occurrence and several demographic and professional variables; however, no factors were significantly associated with reporting behavior. Working in surgical wards and having 11–19 years of experience predicted more positive attitudes toward error reporting. Factors that are more organizational and managerial, rather than individual characteristics of nurses themselves, influence medication error reporting among nurses. Non-punitive cultures at all levels must be strengthened besides improving leaders' support and establishing a functional system for sustaining enhanced medication safety through transparent reporting.