The nursing team’s role in medication safety for hospitalized older adults

Abstract

Objective: to understand the nursing team’s role in medication safety for hospitalized older adults. Methods: this qualitative study was conducted in the male and female medical wards of a public university hospital. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 20 nursing staff members. Interview transcripts were processed using IRAMUTEQ and analyzed with Descending Hierarchical Classification. Results: five classes emerged: Difficulties related to medication safety; Factors that compromise medication safety; Special care in medication administration; Considerations for medication administration in older adults; and The nursing team’s role. Factors such as patients’ overall condition, advanced age, comorbidities, and the complexity of medication regimens and therapies shaped participants’ perceptions. Conclusion: the most frequently reported strategies span the pre-, intra-, and post-administration stages and include patient identification checks, verification of expiration date, dose, route, dosing regimen, and monitoring for polypharmacy and drug interactions. Contributions to practice: these findings support the strengthening and recognition of safe medication-administration practices by highlighting strategies that encompass all stages of the process—rigorous checks of patient identity, dose, route, dosing regimen, and expiration date, as well as monitoring for polypharmacy and drug interactions.