Types of medication administration errors and comparisons among nursing graduands in Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand: A cross-sectional observational study

Background: Despite medication administration safety having been introduced, practiced, and examined in nursing schools for many years, errors are commonly reported among new nurses. Understanding medication errors that nursing graduands might commit is essential for patient safety and fostering collaboration among neighboring countries. Objectives: To assess and compare types of medication administration errors identified by nursing graduands in Asian countries using a medication errors scenario. Design: A cross-sectional observational study. Settings: One university four-year nursing program each in Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand. Participants: A total of 145 baccalaureate nursing graduands in their last semester, including 42 from Indonesia, 35 from Taiwan, and 68 from Thailand. Methods: The medication errors scenario contained 11 errors. The faculty examiner directly observed and graded the graduands' performance in identifying medication errors using an objective structured medication administration checklist. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used. Results: Overall, 4.4 ± 1.8 errors on average were identified in the medication errors scenario. The most common types of errors differed among the three countries. More than half of the graduands did not check the patient's wristband (n = 75; 51.7%) or discovered the wrong name on it (n = 88; 60.7%). Giving medication without an indication (n = 129; 89.0%) and giving medication with potential for an allergic reaction (n = 111; 76.6%) were the most common errors. Conclusions: Medication administration errors are common in nursing graduands. Specific types and various frequencies of errors were noted across three countries. Nursing faculties should investigate possible reasons for common types of errors and develop effective education strategies for graduands to prevent errors. Collaboration among neighboring countries is encouraged to improve overall global medication safety.