Therapeutic Nursing Intervention

NUR 403: Career Pathway- Expanding Horizons

Polypharmacy and Medical Errors

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this paper is to define a clinical problem, review the literature for
appropriate research supported nursing interventions, critique current practice and
provide a plan for changing or adapting clinical practice.
Approach to the Assignment
This focus of this paper was to examine the contributing factors that led to a potentially
fatal incident for a hospitalized patient involving medications, while exploring the other
contributing factors to medication administration errors in a hospital environment.
Reason for Inclusion
This assignment was an assessment of factors contributing to potentially fatal medication
error that I had personally witnessed in my nursing career. Although it happens, staff had
no clear practices or solutions in place to prevent these negative events from occurring.
Critical Thinking

Uses decision-making skills in making clinical or professional judgements.

An assessment was performed to try to discern the contributing factors to medication

errors to include formal (policies and procedures) and informal (nurse behaviors)
mechanisms.

Evaluates nursing care outcomes through the acquisition of data and questioning of
inconsistencies.

The details concerning the two instances of medication errors had to be gathered and
appraised to find either gaps in protocols or procedures or to evaluate whether human
mistakes played a greater part. The data I used did not include the patients own role in
the medication error, but rather the nurses culpability in these situations.
Professionalism

Applies an ethical decision-making framework and legal guidelines to clinical

situations that incorporate moral concepts, professional ethics, and advocacy for
patient well-being and preferences.

This assignment educated me on the legal limits Patients not fully disclosing or knowing
their medications they take at home is a common problem. When you add the fact that a
patient has significant mental disease, experiences chronic pain or the patient is abusing
prescription drugs, the situation becomes dangerous for the healthcare staff and the patient.
It is vital that as an advocate for patient health, a nurse must establish trust and educate their
patients on the dangers of polypharmacy.

Demonstrates accountability for ones own professional practice.

This exercise has taught me to be hyper-vigilant in my assessments and documentation and

to focus and be present while I am with each patient instead of mentally cataloging my to do
list.