Nurses’ attitude and intention of medication administration error reporting

Aims and objectives The Aims of this study were to explore the effects of nurses’ attitudes and intentions regarding medication administration error reporting on actual reporting behaviours. Background Underreporting of medication errors is still a common occurrence. Whether attitude and intention towards medication administration error reporting connect to actual reporting behaviours remain unclear. Design This study used a cross‐sectional design with self‐administered questionnaires, and the theory of planned behaviour was used as the framework for this study. Methods A total of 596 staff nurses who worked in general wards and intensive care units in a hospital were invited to participate in this study. The researchers used the instruments measuring nurses’ attitude, nurse managers’ and co‐workers’ attitude, report control, and nurses’ intention to predict nurses’ actual reporting behaviours. Data were collected from September–November 2013. Path analyses were used to examine the hypothesized model. Results Of the 596 nurses invited to participate, 548 (92%) completed and returned a valid questionnaire. The findings indicated that nurse managers’ and co‐workers’ attitudes are predictors for nurses’ attitudes towards medication administration error reporting. Nurses’ attitudes also influenced their intention to report medication administration errors; however, no connection was found between intention and actual reporting behaviour. Conclusions The findings reflected links among colleague perspectives, nurses’ attitudes, and intention to report medication administration errors. The researchers suggest that hospitals should increase nurses’ awareness and recognition of error occurrence. Relevance to clinical practice Regardless of nurse managers’ and co‐workers’ attitudes towards medication administration error reporting, nurses are likely to report medication administration errors if they detect them. Management of medication administration errors should focus on increasing nurses’ awareness and recognition of error occurrence.