Any suggestions for ongoing med errors?

[DPRN]

My nursing staff is continually making med errors. For example, transcribing orders wrong (giving a nasal spray twice daily instead of daily as ordered) or not removing medicated topical patches at night when ordered to remove after 12 hours. I am now at the point of issuing verbal and / or written counseling plans (write ups) that remain in their individual files. We have provided education already to all nurses and have had the staff education dept do spot med pass audits. I am at my wits end with these continued errors. Because I work in personal care/assisted living all medication errors need reported to the Department of Public Welfare. I feel that I am reporting events entirely too often. Any ideas?

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

Very valid perspective, Freedom.

Mistakes will happen no matter what. My hope is that these errors are the type that are inconsequential, and of minor significance to our patients.

[Freedom42]

Thanks, Party. I also wanted to let the OP know that I read an article somewhere on this forum in the last six months or so regarding nurses at a particular hospital group -- I think it was Kaiser -- who tackled this program by carrying colored folders. If a nurse was carrying a green folder, it meant that s/he was processing a medication order and was not to be talked to until the process was complete. Granted, this was meant to minimize adminsitration errors, but the point was that minimal interruptions minimized errors.

This doesn't mean that I don't think nurses should be held accountable. We also need to encourage nurses to come forward once they realize an error has been made so that we can minimize damage.