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Running head: ARTICLE ANALYSIS

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ARTICLE ANALYSIS

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Part 1: Research Question, Purpose, Variables and Participants

Part 1: Research Question, Purpose, Variables and Participants

Research Question

In nursing practice, what safety interventions reduce medication errors?

Purpose of the Study

The Purpose of the study was “to evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based strategies to limit interruptions during scheduled, peak medication administration times in 3 progressive cardiac care units (PCCUs). A secondary aim of the project was to evaluate the impact of limiting interruptions on medication errors” (Flynn et al., 2016, p. 19).

Variables

Flynn et al. (2016) conducted quantitative research, which involved the collection and analysis of numerical data. The research was used to identify the relationship between the study variables to generalize the results to the wider population. The independent variable of the research was “evidence-based strategies to limit interruptions” and the dependent variables were “interruptions” and “medication errors.” The independent variable affected the two dependent variables. The researchers used the study to answer two questions: (i) whether interruption-limiting methods decrease interruptions when administering medications, and (ii) whether interruption-limiting methods decrease medication errors when administering medications.

Participants

Enrollment

The researchers randomly observed a convenience sample of nurses from each PCCU that was selected for the study. At the time of the study, the researchers were working in the three progressive cardiac care units (PCCU1, PCCU2, and PCCU3). They collected data during peak periods of medication administration, that is, 5 AM - 7 AM, 8 AM - 10 AM, and 8 PM - 10 PM (Flynn et al., 2016). The researchers collected data through observations and did not state whether there was any pre-determined number of participants that were to be included convenience sample. The evidence-based strategies to limit interruptions were implemented in PCCU1 and PCCU2, while PCCU3 was used as a unit of comparison; thus, did not implement the interruption limiting procedures. The researchers did not state whether the identity of the participants varied during the across the various peak administration periods.

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

The researchers included only the nurses that are involved in medication administration roles. The convenience sample included nurses who were administering medications during the times specified as peak hours. The nurses were informed about the study and assured of their confidentiality and anonymity so that those not willing to be observed could opt-out.

Total Participant Numbers

The participants of the study included the nurses that composed the convenience sample, which consisted of one-third of the nurses in the PCCUs.

References

Flynn, F., Evanish, J. Q., Fernald, J. M., Hutchinson, D. E., & Lefaiver, C. (2016). Progressive Care Nurses Improving Patient Safety by Limiting Interruptions During Medication Administration. Critical Care Nurse, 36(4), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2016498