A Grounded Theory of Medication Administration Safety in Palestinian Critical Care Units

Anabtawi, Rasmia

Abstract

Introduction
Administering medication is a critical skill that requires a professional nurse who understands the steps of the medication administration process and is highly skilled in calculating the medication dosage to ensure safe medication administration as well as the safety of the patient. However, critical care units are present in many Palestinian hospitals, offering care across a range of specialties that are allocated in separate areas of the hospital for managing and monitoring critically ill patients with life-threatening conditions.
Research aim and question.
This current study aims to answer the research question, "What are the factors that influence medication administration safety from the nurses’ perception in Palestinian critical care units”.
Methodology
This study adopted a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore the factors that influence medication administration in critical care units. Purposeful and theoretical sampling was used to guide the researcher in selecting the sample included in the study to obtain the data. The researcher used face-to-face interviews as the main data collection tool, twenty nurses were interviewed and included in this study who were working in critical care units, registered by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Hull, as well as from the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the directors of the private hospitals. Open coding, axial coding, and selective coding were used to identify the core category and associated categories that provided the conceptual framework for a grounded theory of nurses’ approach toward factors influencing medication administration safety.
Results
This study discusses medication administration safety in Palestinian critical care hospitals from the perspective of critical care nurses.
The core category that was identified based on the open coding was "The Primacy of Safety," and concurrently, this was the key consideration in medication administration in the critical care units. According to the continuous data analysis, six more associate categories have also emerged in the context of safety including knowledge and skills, process, technology, policies, environment, and healthcare providers.
Although the interviewees had a positive view of medication administration safety in the critical care environment, they described the challenges that they face to enhance safety during their practice administering the medications used in critical care units. They related the safety of medication administration to a variety of factors, as well as how these factors could impede safety.
According to the interviewees, if the negative factors influencing medication safety were managed appropriately, their influence would be minimized, they would not cause harm to the patient, and medications would be administered safely. Conversely, if even one of the factors influences safety negatively, the impeded factors will weigh more, and safety will be impeded. So, enhanced or impeded safety depends on how each factor influences safety and how comprehensively all factors could be controlled to enhance safety and prevent patient harm.
Conclusion
The grounded theory in this study determined that the primacy of safety is an important approach in critical care units to enhance medication safety as well as patient safety. Additionally, it helps nurses provide optimal care with minimal morbidity and mortality.

Citation

Anabtawi, R. A Grounded Theory of Medication Administration Safety in Palestinian Critical Care Units. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4866292

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 15, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 29, 2024
• Keywords: Nursing
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4866292
• Additional Information: Department of Nursing Studies; University of Hull
• Award Date: May 14, 2024