Rachel Cartwright-Vanzant – Medication Error Prevention Training: 30+ Best Practices to Minimize the Risk of Making a Life-Threatening Mistake

Outline

Through the teachings of real-life scenarios, expert Rachel Cartwright-Vanzant, Ph.D., MS, LHRM, CCRN-K, will walk you step-by-step through the following topics to transform your nursing practice.

Insights from a Legal Nurse Consultant

• What the current data says…will amaze you!
• Consequences of unsafe practice
  • Patient injury or death
  • Loss of trust
  • Corrective action – Understanding what that means
  • Suspended license
  • Loss of license
  • Litigation
• Types of Medication Errors
  • Commission
  • Omission

Med Error Contributors: Identify Safety Precautions for YOUR Practice

• Ineffective communication
• Experience level – Beginner vs. expert
• Interruptions and distractions
• Shift length, patient acuity, and workload
• Systems errors: Lack of safety nets
• Similar drug names
• Failure to follow policies or guidelines
  • Taking short cuts
  • Ordering: Electronic, written, verbal
  • Order processing: Pharmacy review
  • Beyond the 8 Rights of Medication Administration
• Review actual cases of medication errors: What went wrong?

Drug Calculation Errors: A Deadly Mistake!

• Common errors and how to avoid them
  • Mathematical calculations
  • Metric vs. imperial systems
  • Units of measure and conversions
• Tools and policies to avoid making math errors
• The tragic and deadly stories…

Identify the Greatest Risk Potential for Errors

• High risk medications – Insulins, opioids, anticoagulants, etc.
• Drip titration
• Predict high risk patients for adverse reactions
• Must-know insights on reversal agents

Reporting ADEs

• Barriers to reporting
• Internal reporting system
  • Just Culture
  • Professional accountability
  • Incident reports – learning from past experiences

Minimize the Risk of Making a Life-Threatening Mistake: Individual and Systems Approaches

• Time management tools
• Think critically
• Facility safety nets
• Electronic tools
• Use the safety tools available
  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement
  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  • Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
• Be a STAR! An easy philosophy to guide your safe, medication administration practice