Date of Award

Summer 2023

Project Type

Thesis

College or School

CHHS

Department

Nursing

Program or Major

Direct-Entry Masters of Nursing

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Pamela Kallmerten

Second Advisor

Natalie Hansel

Abstract

Background: Timeliness of medication administration is important for optimal patient care. Technology, interdepartmental communication, and nursing workflow influence on-time delivery of medications. Improving knowledge through PowerPoint™ education and visual aids such as medication alert placards improves interdepartmental communication and positively influences nursing workflow leading to improved medication delivery times.

Local Problem: Nurses spend considerable time looking for and administering medications to patients on the unit. A goal was established to reduce the amount of time nurses spent looking for medications by 5% after implementing PowerPoint™ education to improve workflow.

Methods: This project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) strategy for implementation. Surveys, observational data of nurses attempting medication retrievals, and missing medication data provided by pharmacy were analyzed prior to and after the intervention and compared.

Interventions: Virtual PowerPoint™ education and Medication Alert Placards were introduced at the June 2023 staff meeting. Medication Alert placards were placed in nursing pods on the unit for a two-week period and workflow patterns were observed.

Results: Mean resolution times for missing medications increased (M =30-90%) during the post-interventional period. Survey results revealed nurses somewhat agreed (M = 4.1) the intervention improved their knowledge of medication delivery but did not improve resolution times.

Conclusion: Continued follow-up and investigation into nursing workflow processes and pharmacy inventory management are important to improve medication delivery times.

Key words: automated dispensing cabinets, nursing, workflow, delays, medications, quality improvement.

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