Abstract
The number of deaths due to medical errors in hospitals ranges from 44,000 to 98,000 yearly. More than 7,000 of these deaths have taken place due to medication errors. This project evaluated the implementation of an automated medication dispensing cabinet or PYXIS machine in a 25-bed upper Midwestern critical access hospital. Lewin's stage theory of organizational change and Roger's diffusion of innovations theory supported the project. Nursing staff members were asked to complete an anonymous, qualitative survey approximately 1 month after the implementation of the PYXIS and again 1 year later. Questions were focused on the device and its use in preventing medication errors in the hospital. In addition to the surveys that were completed, interviews were conducted with the pharmacist, the pharmacy techs, and the director of nursing 1 year after implementation to ascertain perceptions of the change from paper-based medication administration to use of the automated medication dispensing cabinet. Medication errors before, during, and after the PYXIS implementation were analyzed. The small sample and the small number of medication errors allowed simple counts and qualitative analysis of the data. The staff members were generally satisfied with the change, although they acknowledged workflow disruption and increased medication errors. The increase in medication errors may be due in part to better documentation of errors during the transition and after implementation. Social change in practice was supported through the patient safety mechanisms and ongoing process changes that were put in place to support the new technology. This project provides direction to other critical access hospitals regarding planning considerations and best practices in implementing a PYXIS machine.
Sigma Membership
Phi Nu
Type
Dissertation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quality Improvement
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Medical Errors, Preventable Error, Patient Safety
Advisors
Bell, Sue||Holly, Cheryl
Degree
DNP
Degree Grantor
Walden University
Degree Year
2015
Recommended Citation
Walsh, Marie, "Automated medication dispensing cabinet and medication errors" (2020). Dissertations. 1367.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/dissertations/1367
Rights Holder
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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
None: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2020-11-10
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 3684502; ProQuest document ID: 1660759268. The author still retains copyright.