Educational Strategies for Reducing Medication Errors Committed by Student Nurses: A Literature Review

Abstract

Medication errors cause harm, yet most of them are preventable (Institute of Medicine, 2006). Nurses spend 40% of their time administering medications; therefore they play a key role in the reduction of medication errors. Little empirical evidence has been collected about the effectiveness of nursing education in reducing medication errors committed by nursing students. Traditional educational interventions focus on the five rights of medication administration; however, the literature shows that interventions focused on instilling a culture of safety have a greater impact on reducing medication errors. The purpose of this article is to review educational strategies that have been implemented and tested in pre-licensure nursing programs to reduce medication errors committed by nursing students.