The characteristics of rational drug use and tendency to medical errors of nurs working in children's clinics

This study was conducted with 180 nurses in order to examine the rational drug use and medical error propensity characteristics of pediatric nurses working in all public and private hospitals with pediatric clinics in Mardin province and its districts. In data collection, "Questionnaire on Rational Drug Use and Proneness to Medical Errors of Nurses Working in Pediatric Clinics", "Rational Drug Use Scale " and "Medical Error Tendency Scale in Nursing" were used. The data collected in the study were evaluated in the computer environment. In the analysis of the data, number percentage distribution and descriptive statistics, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis test and Spearman correlation analysis were used. In our study, the mean rational drug use score of pediatric nurses was 38.21±4.21; It was determined that they had knowledge of rational drug use. Pediatric nurses' propensity to medical error mean score was 231.55±16.54; The mean score of drug administration and transfusion sub-dimension of the scale is 87.85±4.77, the mean score of falls sub-dimension is 22.21±4.08, the mean score of hospital infections sub-dimension is 57.05±4.61, patient follow-up/material safety sub-dimension sub-dimension mean score was determined as 40.77±5.13 and communication sub-dimension score average was determined as 23.65±2.40; It was determined that the tendency of nurses to make medical mistakes was low and the tendency of nurses to make the least mistake was about drug and transfusion applications, and the tendency to make the most mistakes was about falls. It was determined that pediatric nurses, who were high school graduates, worked as a responsible nurse, preferred to work in pediatric clinics, and cared for the least number of patients in the clinic, had a low tendency to medical errors. It was determined that the nurses working in the pediatric service were more prone to medical errors than other nurses. In line with these results, it is recommended that institutions make necessary arrangements by being supportive in order to increase the awareness of pediatric nurses about medical errors and rational drug use, periodically organize in-clinic and in-service training programs on the subject, and support the active participation of nurses in these programs.