Bm week 5

2

Medication Errors During Hospital Admission and Discharge

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Medication Errors During Hospital Admission and Discharge

Nurses have an essential role in the identification of practice issues that impact patient outcomes and healthcare quality. Nurses are often among the first healthcare professionals to observe the occurrence of negative events since they deliver patient-centered care and coordinate interprofessional team communication. In evidence-based practice, nurses assist in the detection of care deficiencies and develop effective interventions for improving patient outcomes. Medication errors made during hospital admission and discharge are one of the most significant practice issues in health care settings. They pose a threat to patient well-being, cause hospitalization and readmission of patients, and increase the cost of medical care. This paper discusses medication errors as described in the selected Breuker et al. (2021) article and explores additional scholarly literature on this topic.

Clinical Practice Problem

The chosen article by Breuker et al. (2021) presents the issue of medication errors that arise during patient admission or discharge in a clinical setting as a crucial practice problem. Many medication discrepancies are possible at patient transfers due to omission of medications, wrong doses administration, duplication of drugs, or their harmful interaction.

As stated by Breuker et al. (2021), medication discrepancies are common among hospitalized patients, especially among elderly people with many chronic diseases. These medication discrepancies could cause adverse drug effects, lead to unnecessary hospital stays, and result in potentially avoidable hospital readmissions. Without effective medication reconciliation, the patient safety would be seriously endangered, along with escalating expenses in healthcare systems.

Observational research was conducted to explore medication discrepancies among hospitalized adult patients, and to assess the efficacy of medication reconciliation. The results of quantitative analysis revealed a significant reduction in the frequency of medication discrepancies and better patient outcomes due to medication reconciliation. Ineffective communication between medical staff became the key reason for medication discrepancies.

Additional Supporting Articles

Article One

Campbell & Ditkoff (2020) conducted a study on readmission problems among returning emergency room patients. Among the causes of rehospitalization, the scholars indicated improper medication use and inadequate discharge communication. In this case, the research supports the existence of the practice problem by illustrating how patients have a hard time understanding discharge information and medication schedules upon leaving the hospital.

This practice problem is significant because, besides being costly to patients and increasing healthcare costs, it leads to deterioration in the health state of patients and, therefore, further admissions to hospitals. The research employed a qualitative methodology and interviewed people who returned to the emergency room shortly after discharge. Findings revealed that most participants were confused with regards to their medications and follow-up information.

Article Two

In their study, Hover and Williams (2022) studied workplace problems among new nurses and the effects of such situations on retention within the field. While lateral violence constituted the core of the research, there were some other findings related to poor communication in the workplace and lack of support, which can influence patient safety, such as medication errors.

The authors' paper helps to prove the existence of the problem in question due to the description of workplace conditions that can affect nursing performance negatively and provoke errors. The issue in question is significant because it leads to the harm done to patients and can even kill someone. In order to achieve the set objectives, the researchers used the qualitative approach, with newly licensed nurses serving as the subjects. It was found that workplace communication and lack of support had a detrimental effect on the performance of nurses.

Article Three

In their study, Ruffin et al. (2025) explored the influence of health policy on healthcare-associated infections as well as the professional accountability of nurses. Even though the study is concerned with healthcare-associated infections mainly, its significance extends beyond this topic due to the relevance of the concepts of professional accountability, evidence-based nursing practice, and safety initiatives.

This particular article reiterates the significance of medication safety since it states that it is imperative for nurses to keep themselves updated regarding such policies which aim at minimizing any preventable harm. Similar to healthcare-associated infections, medication errors can be prevented. The research methods used in this paper included policy analysis and literature review. It was revealed through findings that policies promoting safety initiative for patients had positive impacts on outcomes and helped avoid any preventable complication.

Conclusion

Medication errors at hospital admissions and discharges continue to be an important clinical practice problem that impacts patient safety, healthcare delivery, and healthcare expenditure. The findings in the article by Breuker et al. (2021) and the other articles reviewed in this paper prove that insufficient communication, inefficient discharge plans, and suboptimal medication reconciliation can result in adverse patient experiences. The nurses are responsible for recognizing and solving such problems based on evidence-based practice and patient education. The improvement of medication reconciliation procedures and better communication within the healthcare system can help decrease unnecessary medication errors in order to enhance patient care.

References

Breuker, C., et al. (2021). Medication errors at hospital admission and discharge: Risk factors and impact of medication reconciliation process to improve healthcare.

Campbell, D., & Ditkoff, J. (2020). Evaluating hospital readmissions through the perspective of the returning emergency department patient.

Hover, L. A., & Williams, G. B. (2022). New nurses’ experience with lateral violence and their decision to remain in nursing.

Ruffin, et al. (2025). Health policy impact on healthcare-associated infections and nurses’ responsibilities for professional awareness and engagement.