Running head: MEDICATION DOSAGE ERROR PAPER 1

Medication Dosage Error Paper

Courtney P Whyte

University of South Florida College of Nursing

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Medication Dosage Error Paper

Errors made in the healthcare field not only can be costly but they can be deadly. With the

advances in technology and education, medication errors should not be such an epidemic as it is.

In the United States, medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death, (Boytim & Ulrich, 92).

These errors are preventable! This paper will discuss specifically medication errors, the fear of

making those errors, and ways to prevent said errors.

What is a Medication Error?

Medication errors can be a variety of different things. This can include but not limited to:

giving meds to the wrong patient, giving a patient the wrong dose of medication, or giving a

medication when it is not indicated. This paper will specifically focus on the effects of giving a

patient the wrong dose of medication.

Medication Dosage

Both overmedicating and under medicating a patient can have dangerous effects. Some

drugs have a large therapeutic index so although it is not ideal to give a patient more medication

than prescribed the effects wouldn’t be as prominent or dangerous. Drugs such as digoxin, have a

narrow therapeutic range have a greater risk for toxicity and potent side effects. Overmedicating

a patient can occur due to a variety of factors. This can include, not calculating the right dose

properly, pulling to many pills from the medication drawer, giving two or more highly protein

bond medications at the same time, or drawing up too much medication in a syringe. Under

medicating can be a result of patient not taking the medication as directed, a nurse holding a

medication due to their judgement call, or by not drawing up enough of the medication.
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How to Avoid Medication Dosage Errors

When administering medications, it is important that a nurse does the six patient rights

for medication check three times. By doing the six rights’ three times, the nurse is checking to

make sure they have the right dose of medication at least three separate times before

administering it. It is important that a nurse has a solid understanding of pharmacology so that

they can make the appropriate decision on whether multiple medications can be given at the

same time. When drawing up medication, it doesn’t hurt to have a second nurse verify that it

matches the providers’ orders. Always ask a provider why they prescribed a certain dose of

medication if one is questioning if it could be too much or too little and if one doesn’t understand

the terminology the physician used.

Fears as a Student Nurse

In a study performed evaluating medication errors it stated that “student nurses [are] less

knowledgeable with regard to doses and strengths of medications and less competent in dosage

calculation,” (Blignaut, Coetzee, Klopper, Ellis, 2017). As a student nurse, I have a great fear

that I will give my patient either the wrong medication or the wrong dose of medication. I am

still in the learning process so my knowledge is still expanding. With the help of my nurse, I can

make sure that I am giving my patient the proper medication and that I am drawing up the proper

amount. With practice these skills will improve and I will hopefully not make an error.

Remembering to follow the six rights of patient medication administration will help make sure

that I am giving the correct patient the correct dose of medication.

The safety and well-being of patients is a very important job that a nurse strives to

achieve each and every shift. Medication is often the way in which patients get better. It is

imperative that patients get the proper medication, in the correct dosage, at the appropriate time.
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Nurses should take extra care when obtaining the patients medication and when they are giving

the medication. Giving a patient a wrong dose of medication can be deadly. Medication errors

can be avoided and they should be! Guidelines and protocols were put in place to help avoid

these situations. Nurses need to take their time and double check every little detail and aspect of

the physicians’ order and the medication itself.

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References

Blignaut, A., Coetzee, S., Klopper, H., Ellis, S. (2017). Medication administration errors and

related deviations from safe practice: An observational study. Journal of Clinical

Nursing, 26(1), 3610-3623. doi: 10.1111/jocn.13732

Boytim, J., Ulrich, B. (2018). Factors contributing to perioperative medication errors: A

systematic literature review. Association of periOperative Nurses Journal, 2(1), 91-107.

http://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.12005