Improvement Plan Tool Kit

Improvement Plan Tool Kit

This improvement plan tool kit aims to enable nurses to adopt a safety improvement initiative in medication administration. The tool has been categorized into various sections. The sections include optimizing the work environment, implementing medication safety technologies, strategies for look-alike and sound-alike medications, precautions with high-alert medicines, and patient education.

Annotated Bibliography

Optimization of the Work Environment

Keers, R. N., Plácido, M., Bennett, K., Clayton, K., Brown, P., & Ashcroft, D. M. (2018). What Causes Medication Administration Errors in a Mental Health Hospital? A Qualitative Study with Nursing Staff. PLoS ONE, 13(10), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206233

The article aims to identify the causes of medication administration errors in a mental health hospital and proposes possible ways to mitigate the errors. The researchers involved nursing students and registered nurses as the respondents. Findings indicate that various factors caused medication administration errors. Accordingly, the first cause is related to skill-based slips and mistakes. The authors propose that the nursing staff adopt policies or practices that embrace counterchecking or double-checking to mitigate this. An independent nurse should do counterchecking. This increases the likelihood of detecting common errors such as wrong administration techniques, overdoses, underdoses, or wrong patients. Notably, this should be the standard practice in the ward units. The second cause is related to an unbalanced skill mix among nursing staff. This can be mitigated by conducting regular training.

Skilled registered nurses should train nursing students or new nurses on the proper medication administration techniques or practices. This will ensure all staff acquire the necessary skills to minimize medication administration errors. The third cause concerns interruptions and distractions, which can be mitigated by adopting measures or practices that reduce traffic in the ward units when administering medication. An example is using labels to warn that absolute silence is needed or only authorized personnel are allowed. This can be fully adopted through support from other stakeholders, such as the hospital administration and other interdisciplinary team members.

The other cause is poor communication. Lack of open communication between nurses and patients or nurses and the other interdisciplinary team members can cause medication administration errors. Communication with the patient ensures that medication is given to the right patient. Similarly, communication with other healthcare providers ensures that clarifications about the dose, route, or administration techniques are made, lowering medication administration errors. In addition, the authors also identify staff shortages as the cause of medication administration errors. Staff shortages create burnout, fatigue, and lower job satisfaction. Exhaustion and burnout increase the risk of medication errors. This can be mitigated by optimizing nursing-to-patient ratios. This resource is relevant to nurses because it helps identify the causes of medication administration errors and identifies various strategies to reduce them.

Wheeler, A. J., Scahill, S., Hopcroft, D., & Stapleton, H. (2018). Reducing Medication Errors at Transitions of Care is Everyone’s Business. Australian Prescriber, 41(3), 73–77. https://doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.2018.021

This article identifies various strategies stakeholders can utilize to reduce medication errors in healthcare facilities. The stakeholders include the hospital administration and healthcare workers such as nurses, physicians, and pharmacists. The article reports that the interdisciplinary team at healthcare facilities should establish policies or protocols that advocate for patient-centered services. Patient-centered services can minimize errors related to medication administration, such as overdoses, underdoses, wrong dosing frequency, and administering to deficient patients. According to the article, an example of such a protocol is maintaining a comprehensive list of patient medications. This list should be updated and contain essential details such as the name or unique code of the patient and the treatment plan that consists of the correct dosage and route of administration.

Furthermore, nursing units should develop procedures that minimize distractions and interruptions. Distractions increase the likelihood of medication administration errors. Distractions should be limited by labels such as “no unauthorized entry” during medication administration. This resource is relevant to nursing practice because it identifies workplace strategies that minimize errors in medication administration. It equips nurses with sufficient knowledge and skills, such as accurately recording patients’ medication information and avoiding distractions when administering medications.

White, A. E., Aiken, H. L., McHugh, D. M. (2019). Registered Nurse Burnout, Job Dissatisfaction, and Missed Care in Nursing Homes. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16051.

This article discusses how nursing shortage can contribute to medication errors, such as administrative errors. The nursing shortage is a global problem contributing to diminished healthcare service delivery. The nursing shortage makes nursing staff work long shifts and take shortened day-offs. Accordingly, the nursing shortage creates staff burnout, stress, and fatigue. Furthermore, staff members are less motivated, significantly lowering their job satisfaction. Thus, the nursing shortage is associated with increased medication errors, such as the wrong administration of medications. The article reports that approximately 70% of the participants indicated that they had missed at least one task in the care of patients. The nurses said that failure to discharge their duties, such as medication administration accurately, is attributed to limited time and burnout. According to the authors, different units in the healthcare facility should have the recommended optimized number of nursing staff.

An example is an optimized nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:5 in the general medical unit and a ratio of 1:2 in the critical care units. Nursing staff optimization should be accomplished by a collaborative effort between the directors of nursing services and members of the hospital administration, such as the human resource manager. This source is relevant to nurses and nursing practice because it identifies how staff shortages can cause medication errors. Essentially, the article equips nurses with pertinent facts that can form the basis for advocating for policies or practices that help to avert the nursing shortage. The advocacy should be fronted by nursing staff through the head or director of nursing services. Achievement of optimized nursing ratios will improve the workflow and minimize the incidence of medication administration errors.

Implementation of Medication Safety Technologies

Andrade, A. Q., & Roughead, E. E. (2019). Consumer-Directed Technologies to Improve Medication Management and Safety. Medical Journal of Australia, 210(S6), S24–S27. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.50029

This article identifies the various technological methods patients can use to minimize medication administration errors. The authors report that these technical approaches can be categorized thrice. They include educational techniques, management and reminder techniques, and behavioral techniques. Educational techniques can be accomplished using video conferencing or text messages. Reminder and management techniques entail using alarms, push notifications, and message alerts. Behavioral techniques involve the use of personal or external tracking. The three categories can be accomplished using smartphones. The other technological advancement consists of the use of wearable devices. These devices permit perpetual patient monitoring; examples are wrist accelerometers, heart rate sensors, humidity sensors, and pulse oximetry.

Moreover, educational techniques and reminder techniques are of relevance to nursing practice. Nurses can use educational approaches such as videos and text messages to monitor patients and ensure that they seek clarification on the proper use of medication. This can be accomplished by texting patients to remind them to take their medication or video chatting to ask how they have taken it to confirm that it was done appropriately. Nurses should encourage patients to utilize reminder techniques such as alarms that notify them of medication dosing frequency. Subsequently, this ensures correct drug administration. This resource is helpful to nurses because it equips them with relevant technical information to provide safe medication administration when patients are discharged or outpatients. Nurses should educate patients on the proper use of these technologies to ensure the safe administration of drugs.

Kuitunen, S. K., Niittynen, I., Airaksinen, M., & Holmström, A. R. (2021). Systemic defenses to prevent intravenous medication errors in hospitals: a systematic review. Journal of Patient Safety, 17(8), e1669-e1680. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000688

The authors aim to identify different technologies to minimize errors accompanying the systemic administration of intervenous drugs. The authors identify a closed-loop management system as the preferred method of preventing medication administration errors. The specific tool component of a closed-loop management system is smart infusion pumps. Closed-loop management systems involve electronic prescriptions, barcoding in unit dose drugs, automation in dispensing, medication patient barcoding, and smart infusion pumps. Intravenous smart pumps can be used to administer medication or for total parenteral nutrition. They contain drug libraries and dose error reduction systems that keep track of intravenous drugs used frequently. The dose error reduction systems can warn nurses when dosages exceed the recommended limit.

Nevertheless, nurses and other clinicians should be cautious and avoid overriding the intelligent pumps’ error alerts. To ensure the accuracy of the smart pumps, they should be maintained regularly, and their drug libraries should be developed to reflect current evidence-based practices. Medication and patient barcodes are desirable because they help to identify patients uniquely and ensure that the proper medications are delivered. Scanning unique codes makes details about the treatment plan, including the medication’s name and dosage, available. Patient barcodes ensure that the right patient receives medication and reduces the possibility of errors. This resource is relevant to nursing practice. It equips them with knowledge about closed-loop management systems. Furthermore, it enables them to identify various tools classified as closed-loop management systems and how they can help reduce medication errors. Significantly, nurses will appreciate using smart infusion pumps and medication and patient barcoding to reduce medication administration errors.

Macias, M., Bernabeu-Andreu, F. A., Arribas, I., Navarro, F., & Baldominos, G. (2018, January). Impact of a Barcode Medication Administration System on Patient Safety. In Oncology Nursing Forum (Vol. 45, No. 1). https://doi.org/10.1188/18.ONF.E1-E13

The article aims to identify the impact of barcode medication administration on reducing medication administration errors. The bar code verification technology helps mitigate the mistakes accompanying medication administration. Significantly, it ensures that the right patient receives the right drug at the correct dose, route, and time. This is accomplished by alerting when errors in the proper administration are committed. According to the authors, barcode medication administration can reduce medication administration errors by up to 56%. According to the authors, the successful implementation of this technology requires three aspects. The first aspect is communication and changes in workflow. Nurses and clinicians should utilize workflow diagrams to ensure optimized workflow and communication during and after implementing barcode medication administration technology. The second aspect is the placement of the technology and usability.

Successful implementation requires other supplementary technology, such as computers, that facilitate the timely update of electronic administration records after scanning the medications. Each ward unit or room should possess at least one computer and barcode medication scanner. The other aspect is training. Training entails nursing staff training on the appropriate techniques and developing policies that focus on using barcode medication administration. This policy should address practice guidelines such as when to use scanners and compliance with the 5 rights (patient, drug, dose, route, time). This resource is relevant to nursing practice because it equips nurses and the nursing management with the requirements for the fruitful implementation of barcode medication administration systems. Furthermore, it explains how to use this medication administration technology and highlights its merits. Adherence to these provisions will help enhance medication administration safety and improve patient outcomes.

Vilela, R. P. B., & Jericó, M. de C. (2019). Implementing Technologies to Prevent Medication Errors at a High-Complexity Hospital: Analysis of Cost and Results. Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 17(4), eGS4621. https://doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2019GS4621

The article evaluates various technological advancements that minimize the risk of medication administration errors. According to the authors, medication technology can be classified as hard, soft, and soft-hard. Complex technology refers to the equipment or hardware; soft-hard technology entails the protocols and standards. Soft technology entails communication and associations. Examples of the technologies identified by the authors include intelligent infusion pumps, simulations to train staff and medication, and patient barcoding. Smart intravenous infusion pumps contain dose error reduction systems that can help mitigate medication errors. They automatically calculate infusion rates using information contained in their drug libraries.

Furthermore, intelligent infusion pumps can alert nurses or other clinicians in cases of overdoses. Therefore, intelligent infusion pumps can help significantly reduce medication administration errors. In addition, patient barcoding helps to reduce administration errors. This is accomplished by ensuring the right patient receives the right drug in the correct dosage at the right time. They provide that nurses scan unique codes to get pertinent instructions regarding the medication. Scanning ensures that accuracy in product identification is upheld. Simulations can equip nurses with the knowledge and skills required to administer medications. This is because the simulations mimic real-time procedures. Therefore, this resource is relevant in nursing practice. It enables the nurses to identify various technological advances they can use daily. Using specialized tools such as smart infusion pumps will help ensure accurate dosage administration to patients.

Strategies for Look-Alike and Sound-Alike Medications

Bryan, R., Aronson, J. K., Williams, A., & Jordan, S. (2021). The Problem of Look‐Alike, Sound‐Alike Name Errors: Drivers and Solutions. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87(2), 386-394. https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14285

The article evaluates the problem of medication errors associated with look-alike and sound-alike medication. It proposes different strategies to address the problem and ensure safe medication use and administration. According to the author, look-alike and sound-alike (LASA) medication errors result from phonetic and orthographic aspects of the drugs. Furthermore, the likelihood of mistakes worsens because of aspects such as similar secondary or tertiary packaging, similar tablet appearances, similar strengths, indications, and administration techniques. The authors propose various strategies to minimize medication errors caused by LASA. They include avoiding distractions during administration, using the Tall Man Letter system, barcoding, and computerized physician order entry. Avoiding distractions helps clinicians and nurses pay attention to detail when administering medication. By so doing, they can easily distinguish between two LASAs and ensure safe medication use.

Distractions can be avoided using labels indicating that only authorized personnel are allowed. The Tall Man Lettering system entails selective capitalization of letters in two LASA medications. This helps to identify errors uniquely because it helps to capture the attention of the nurse or clinician. Barcoding helps to identify medications uniquely. It ensures that the 5-rights of medication used are upheld: patient, dose, route, time, and drug. Appropriate use of both patient and medicine barcoding can help to minimize medication errors associated with LASA. Computerized physician order entry eliminates the need for paperwork. Paperwork can be related to typographical errors that increase the risk of confusion and medication errors when dealing with LASA. Therefore, computerized physician order entry ensures accurate medication prescriptions with increased legibility. Accuracy reduces the risk of medication errors associated with LASA. Therefore, this resource is relevant to nursing practice because it identifies various tools that prevent medication errors related to LASA. Adoption of these tools and techniques will promote safe medication administration.

Emmerton, L., Curtain, C., Swaminathan, G., & Dowling, H. (2020). Development and Exploratory Analysis of Software to Detect Look-Alike and sound-alike Medicine Names. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 137, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104119

This article identifies techniques for developing software to reduce medication administration errors caused by look-alike and sound-alike medications. The authors report that errors resulting from look-alike and sound-alike medication are common. These medications require attention to detail when using them. This starts from the prescription point, dispensing, and use or administration. The article reports that various interventions have been developed to address this problem and identifies the National Tall Man Lettering List as an example. This was developed by the Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Health Care. The Tall Man Lettering technique uses selective capitalization to help distinguish between look-alike and sound-alike medication. This targets both generic and brand names. The authors also report that the other existing interventions include warning staff by adequately labeling the possibility of look-alike and sound-alike medications and adequate patient education.

The authors propose software known as the LASA v2 software. This software utilizes mechanics similar to the Phonetic and Orthographic Computer Analysis (POCA) that the FDA developed. It uses language algorithms to compute similarity scores for medicines. The orthographic component of the software evaluates look-alike medication, whereas the phonetic component evaluates sound-alike medications. The article reports that this software is relevant because it helps screen proprietary and generic medicines. The LASA v2 software should be successfully implemented by identifying all approved medications in the state and federal government and updating the software accordingly. This resource is relevant to nursing practice because it identifies various techniques currently used to avert the problem of look-alike and sound-alike medications. It also helps to propose software that can be used to minimize the incidences of medication administration errors resulting from look-alike and sound-alike medications.

Ruutiainen, H. K., Kallio, M. M., & Kuitunen, S. K. (2021). Identification and Safe Storage of Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Medicines in Automated Dispensing Cabinets. European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 151–156. https://doi.org/10.1136/ejhpharm-2020-002531

The article evaluates how Automated Dispensing Cabinets can help ensure the safe use and administration of look-alike and sound-alike medication. Computers control automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs). These are medication storage and distribution tools that uphold medication safety. Furthermore, ADCs are a reflection of decentralization in medicine distribution and storage. This implies that the medicines are stored and distributed in the wards. ADCs utilize barcode scanners to ensure only authorized nurses or clinicians access the medications. In addition, ADCs distribute drugs based on the first expiry and first out model, hence better inventory control. ADCs are relevant when dealing with look-alike and sound-alike medications because they help eliminate the mixups. The study reports that about 70% of drugs stored and distributed by ADC were classified as look-alike and sound-alike (LASA) medication.

Furthermore, about 21% of these medicines were classified as high-risk medications. Therefore, ADC helps to minimize the medication errors associated with LASA. By so doing, it also facilitates the safe handling of high-risk medicines. Accordingly, this resource is relevant to nursing practice because it explains the relevance of Automated Dispensing Cabinets in the ward units. By understanding and adopting correct techniques when using ADCs, nurses will significantly reduce medication errors associated with look-alike and sound-alike medicine. By so doing, safe medication administration will be achieved.

Dealing with High Alert Medication and Patient Education

Sessions, L. C., Nemeth, L. S., Catchpole, K., & Kelechi, T. J. (2019). Nurses’ Perceptions of High-Alert Medication Administration Safety: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(12), 3654–3667. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14173

The article aims to determine nurses’ nurses’ perceptions about the supports and barriers to the safe administration of high-risk medications. High-alert medications are those that are at a high risk of harming the patient when misused. Examples of these drugs include anticoagulants, oral hypoglycemic agents, and anesthetics. According to the authors, three factors promote the safe administration of high-risk medication: a culture of safety in the healthcare facility, interdisciplinary collaboration, and competency and engagement. Healthcare facilities should create and embrace a safety culture when administering all medications.

An example is ensuring that the 5-rights are adhered to, double-checking, and avoiding distractions. Interprofessional collaboration helps to ensure that the correct dose, route, and technique are used to administer high-risk medication. Furthermore, the collaborative approach in clinical decision-making helps develop and embrace evidence-based practices that ensure the safe administration of these medications. Competency and engagement among registered nurses are essential to ensure that the 5-rights are observed. Competent staff members will likely use the proper administration technique and embrace counterchecking. Competency can be enhanced by regular training. The barriers to the safe use of high-risk medication include distractions or interruptions and the increased workload that implies a nursing shortage. This article is relevant to nursing practice because it helps identify the themes or practices that promote the safe administration of high-risk medication. Furthermore, it helps establish the barriers to safely administering these medications. Accordingly, nurses should adopt the proposed themes to ensure safe medication use.

Sessions, L., Nemeth, L. S., Catchpole, K., & Kelechi, T. (2020). Use of Simulation-Based Learning to Teach High-Alert Medication Safety: A Feasibility Study. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 47(October), 60–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2020.06.013

This article evaluates the applicability of simulation-based educational activities to enhance the competency of nursing students in administering high-alert medications. According to the authors, the use of simulation-based learning is feasible. The enablers of the learning process include using high-quality simulators, intelligent intravenous infusion pumps, and computers. Furthermore, using audio and video recordings, pre-briefing, and debriefing rooms increases the implementation of simulation-based learning. Safe data storage locations and techniques are essential to the educational program’s success. The factors that impede the successful implementation of the simulations include the lack of certified electronic health record systems and the unavailability of nursing students during their regular semester hours. This resource is relevant to nursing practice because it helps identify how simulations can be used to educate learners on safely administering high-alert medications. Therefore, the head of nursing services and nurse educators should incorporate the recommendations to implement simulation-based learning successfully.

Younis, I., Shaheen, N., & Bano, S. (2021). Knowledge and practice about Administration of High Alert Medication in the Tertiary Care Hospital in Lahore. International Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing Practice, 3(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.47941/ijhmnp.644

The article aims to assess the knowledge and practices of nurses about high-alert medication. The authors report that factors that increase the risk of administration errors when dealing with high-alert medications include poor collaboration between doctors and nurses, absence of standard operating procedures, absence of reference material, and insufficient knowledge. Other factors include poor legibility of prescriptions and lack of collaboration among nursing staff. The authors report that various strategies can address this problem. Subsequently, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for high-alert medications should be formulated and adopted. SOPs help to cultivate a culture of safety among nursing staff. The other strategy is interprofessional collaboration. Interprofessional collaboration involves interdisciplinary team members, such as nurses, physicians, and pharmacists.

Furthermore, nurses should collaborate in activities such as double-checking and avoiding interruptions. This article is relevant to nursing practice because it identifies the causes of errors when administering high-risk medications. Furthermore, it proposes strategies that can minimize administration errors of high-risk medicines. Ultimately, adopting these recommendations will ensure safe medication use.

References

Andrade, A. Q., & Roughead, E. E. (2019). Consumer-Directed Technologies to Improve Medication Management and Safety. Medical Journal of Australia, 210(S6), S24–S27. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.50029

Bryan, R., Aronson, J. K., Williams, A., & Jordan, S. (2021). The Problem of Look‐Alike, Sound‐Alike Name Errors: Drivers and Solutions. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87(2), 386-394. https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14285

Emmerton, L., Curtain, C., Swaminathan, G., & Dowling, H. (2020). Development and Exploratory Analysis of Software to Detect Look-Alike and sound-alike Medicine Names. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 137, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104119

Keers, R. N., Plácido, M., Bennett, K., Clayton, K., Brown, P., & Ashcroft, D. M. (2018). What Causes Medication Administration Errors in a Mental Health Hospital? A Qualitative Study with Nursing Staff. PLoS ONE, 13(10), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206233

Kuitunen, S. K., Niittynen, I., Airaksinen, M., & Holmström, A. R. (2021). Systemic defenses to prevent intravenous medication errors in hospitals: a systematic review. Journal of Patient Safety, 17(8), e1669-e1680. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000688

Macias, M., Bernabeu-Andreu, F. A., Arribas, I., Navarro, F., & Baldominos, G. (2018, January). Impact of a Barcode Medication Administration System on Patient Safety. In Oncology Nursing Forum (Vol. 45, No. 1). https://doi.org/10.1188/18.ONF.E1-E13

Ruutiainen, H. K., Kallio, M. M., & Kuitunen, S. K. (2021). Identification and Safe Storage of Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Medicines in Automated Dispensing Cabinets. European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 151–156. https://doi.org/10.1136/ejhpharm-2020-002531

Sessions, L. C., Nemeth, L. S., Catchpole, K., & Kelechi, T. J. (2019). Nurses’ Perceptions of High-Alert Medication Administration Safety: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(12), 3654–3667. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14173

Sessions, L., Nemeth, L. S., Catchpole, K., & Kelechi, T. (2020). Use of Simulation-Based Learning to Teach High-Alert Medication Safety: A Feasibility Study. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 47(October), 60–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2020.06.013

Vilela, R. P. B., & Jericó, M. de C. (2019). Implementing Technologies to Prevent Medication Errors at a High-Complexity Hospital: Analysis of Cost and Results. Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 17(4), eGS4621. https://doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2019GS4621

Wheeler, A. J., Scahill, S., Hopcroft, D., & Stapleton, H. (2018). Reducing Medication Errors at Transitions of Care is Everyone’s Business. Australian Prescriber, 41(3), 73–77. https://doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.2018.021

White, A. E., Aiken, H. L., McHugh, D. M. (2019). Registered Nurse Burnout, Job Dissatisfaction, and Missed Care in Nursing Homes. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16051.

Younis, I., Shaheen, N., & Bano, S. (2021). Knowledge and practice about Administration of High Alert Medication in the Tertiary Care Hospital in Lahore. International Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing Practice, 3(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.47941/ijhmnp.644

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

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I choose the scenario # 2 in the instructions attached:

For this assessment, you will develop a Word document or an online resource repository of at least 12 annotated professional or scholarly resources that you consider critical for the audience of your safety improvement plan about medication administration to understand or implement to ensure the plan’s success.

Communication in the healthcare environment consists of an information-sharing experience through oral or written messages (Chard & Makary, 2015). As healthcare organizations and nurses strive to create a culture of safety and quality care, the importance of interprofessional collaboration, the development of tool kits, and the use of wikis become more relevant and vital. In addition to disseminating information and evidence-based findings and developing tool kits, continuous support for and availability of such resources is critical. Among the most popular methods to promote ongoing dialogue and information sharing are blogs, wikis, websites, and social media. Nurses know how to support people in times of need or crisis and how to support one another in the workplace; wikis, in particular, enable nurses to continue that support beyond the work environment. Here, they can be free to share their unique perspectives, educate others, and promote healthcare wellness at local and global levels (Kaminski, 2016).
Before developing the repository, you must complete the Determining the Relevance and Usefulness of Resources activity. This activity will help you determine which resources or research will be most relevant to address a particular need. This may be useful as you consider how to explain the purpose and relevance of the resources you are assembling for your tool kit. The activity is for your practice and self-assessment, demonstrating course engagement.
Demonstration of Proficiency
By completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
• Competency 1: Analyze the elements of a successful quality improvement initiative.
• Analyze the usefulness of resources for the role group responsible for implementing quality and safety improvements with medication administration.
• Competency 2: Analyze factors that lead to patient safety risks.
• Analyze the value of resources to reduce patient safety risks or improve quality with medication administration.
• Competency 3: Identify organizational interventions to promote patient safety.
• Identify necessary resources to support the implementation and sustainability of a safety improvement initiative focusing on medication administration.
• Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly, evidence-based strategies to communicate in a manner that supports safe and effective patient care.
• Present reasons and relevant situations for the resource tool kit to be used by its target audience.
• Communicate resource tool kit in a clear, logically structured, professional manner that applies current APA style and formatting.
References
Chard, R., & Makary, M. A. (2015). Transfer-of-care communication: Nursing best practices. AORN Journal, 102(4), 329–342.
Kaminski, J. (2016). Why all nurses can/should be authors. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 11(4), 1–7.
Professional Context
Nurses are often asked to implement processes, concepts, or practices—sometimes with little preparatory communication or education. One way to encourage the sustainability of quality and process improvements is to assemble an accessible, user-friendly tool kit for knowledge and process documentation. Creating a resource repository or tool kit is also an excellent way to follow up an educational or in-service session, as it can help reinforce attendees’ new knowledge and the understanding of its value. By practicing creating a simple online tool kit, you can develop valuable technology skills to improve your competence and efficacy. This technology is easy to use, and resources are available to guide you.
Scenario
For this assessment, consider taking one of these two approaches:
1. Build on the work done in your first three assessments and create an online tool kit or resource repository that will help the audience of your in-service understand the research behind your safety improvement plan about medication administration and put the plan into action.
2. Locate a safety improvement plan (your current organization, the Institution for Healthcare Improvement, or a publicly available safety improvement initiative) about medication administration and create an online tool kit or resource repository that will help an audience understand the research behind the safety improvement plan and how to put the plan into action.
Preparation
Google Sites is recommended for this assessment; the tools are free to use and should offer flexibility and simplicity as you create your online tool kit. Please note that this requires a Google account; use your Gmail or Google Docs login or create an account following the directions under the “Create Account” menu.
Refer to the following links to help you get started with Google Sites:
• G Suite Learning Center. (n.d.). Get started with Sites. https://gsuite.google.com/learning-center/products/sites/get-started/#!/
• Google. (n.d.). Sites. https://sites.google.com
• Google. (n.d.). Sites help. https://support.google.com/sites/?hl=en#topic=
Instructions
Using Google Sites, assemble an online resource tool kit containing at least 12 annotated resources that you consider critical to the success of your safety improvement initiative. These resources should enable nurses and others to implement and maintain the safety improvement you have developed.
It is recommended that you focus on the 3 or 4 most critical categories or themes concerning your safety improvement initiative regarding medication administration. For example, for an initiative that concerns improving workplace safety for practitioners, you might choose broad themes such as general organizational safety and quality best practices, environmental safety and quality risks, individual strategies to improve personal and team safety, and process best practices for reporting and improving environmental safety issues.
Following the recommended scheme, you would collect 3 resources on average for each of the 4 categories, focusing on safety with medication administration. Each resource listing should include the following:
• An APA-formatted citation of the resource with a working link.
• A description of the resource’s information, skills, or tools.
• A brief explanation of how the resource can help nurses better understand or implement the safety improvement initiative about medication administration.
• A description of how nurses can use this resource and when its use may be appropriate.
Remember to make your site ‘public’ so your faculty can access it. Check out the Google Sites resources for more information.
Here is an example entry:
• Merret, A., Thomas, P., Stephens, A., Moghabghab, R., & Gruneir, M. (2011). A collaborative approach to fall prevention. Canadian Nurse, 107(8), 24–29.
• This article presents the Geriatric Emergency Management-Falls Intervention Team (GEM-FIT) project. It shows how a collaborative nurse-led project can be implemented and used to improve collaboration, interprofessional teamwork, and the delivery of health care services. This resource is likely more helpful to nurses as a resource for strategies and models for assembling and participating in an interdisciplinary team than for specific fall-prevention strategies. It is suggested that this resource be reviewed before creating a multidisciplinary team for a collaborative project in a healthcare setting.
Additionally, be sure that your plan addresses the following, corresponding to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Please study the scoring guide carefully to understand what is needed for a distinguished score.
• Identify necessary resources to support the implementation and continued sustainability of a safety improvement initiative about medication administration.
• Analyze the usefulness of resources to the role group responsible for implementing quality and safety improvements focusing on medication administration.
• Analyze the value of resources to reduce patient safety risks related to medication administration.
• Present reasons and relevant situations for using the resource tool kit by its target audience.
• Communicate in a clear, logically structured, and professional manner that applies current APA style and formatting.
Example Assessment: You may use the following example to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like. However, keep in mind that your tool kit will focus on promoting safety with medication administration. You do not have to submit your bibliography besides the Google Site; the example bibliography is merely for your reference.
• Assessment 4 Example [PDF].
To submit your online tool kit assessment, paste the link to your Google Site in the assessment submission box.
Example Google Site: You may use the example Google Site, Resources for Safety and Improvement Measures in Geropsychiatric Care, to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like for this assessment, but keep in mind that your tool kit will focus on promoting safety with medication administration.
Note: Please get in touch with your faculty member if you experience technical or other challenges in completing this assessment.
Additional Requirements
• APA formatting: References and citations are formatted according to current APA style