ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Risk Propensity and Safe Medication Administration Kelly Gonzales, PhD, RN Objective: To examine the relationship between risk propensity and safe medication administration, while also providing additional evidence of validity and reliability on the Safe Administration of Medication (SAM) Scale. Methods: A convenience sample of nursing students from a private Midwest university in the United States was invited to participate in the study. Fourth-year nursing students completed 2 instruments: revised Domain-Specific Risk-Taking and Risk Perception (DOSPERT) Scale, which measures risk propensity, and the SAM Scale, which measures knowledge and performance of safe medication administration. Secondyear nursing students completed the SAM Scale; their scores were used to provide evidence of construct validity. Results: This study demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between personal risk taking in the area of health/safety and safe medication administration in nursing students. No statistically significant relationship was found between risk perception and safe medication administration. In addition, the study provided evidence of the validity and reliability of the SAM Scale. Conclusions: This study is among the first to demonstrate a relationship between risk propensity and safe medication administration. Further research into personal risk taking, risk perception and its impact on patient safety, specifically safe medication administration, is needed. Key Words: medication safety, medication administration, risk, attitude, Safe Administration of Medication (SAM) scale (J Patient Saf 2015;11: 166Y173)
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uch of the safety literature has focused on the importance of creating a culture of safety. Although this is critical, it is equally imperative that the nurse has necessary internal factors including personal commitment to safety. The most common breach in patient safety that occurs in hospital settings are medication errors.1 Nurses are often viewed as the last line of defense to protect against medication errors.2 Safe medication administration is a nursing safety concern of international relevance. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) project includes safe medication administration as part of the competency of safety, and identified the knowledge, skills, and attitudes appropriate to the safety competency.3 Much of nursing education and nursing research focuses on the knowledge and skills of safe medication administration; however, little attention has been paid to examining attitude. The propensity to take risks is one aspect of attitude that impacts safety behavior. Risk propensity is one aspect of attitude that impacts safety. For this study, risk propensity is simply defined as an inclination or tendency to take risks. Hillson and Murray-Webster4 have defined risk attitude as the chosen response of an individual or From the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska. Correspondence: Kelly Gonzales, PhD, RN, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE (e
Risk Propensity and Safe Medication Administration Kelly Gonzales, PhD, RN Objective: To examine the relationship between risk propensity and safe medication administration, while also providing additional evidence of validity and reliability on the Safe Administration of Medication (SAM) Scale. Methods: A convenience sample of nursing students from a private Midwest university in the United States was invited to participate in the study. Fourth-year nursing students completed 2 instruments: revised Domain-Specific Risk-Taking and Risk Perception (DOSPERT) Scale, which measures risk propensity, and the SAM Scale, which measures knowledge and performance of safe medication administration. Secondyear nursing students completed the SAM Scale; their scores were used to provide evidence of construct validity. Results: This study demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between personal risk taking in the area of health/safety and safe medication administration in nursing students. No statistically significant relationship was found between risk perception and safe medication administration. In addition, the study provided evidence of the validity and reliability of the SAM Scale. Conclusions: This study is among the first to demonstrate a relationship between risk propensity and safe medication administration. Further research into personal risk taking, risk perception and its impact on patient safety, specifically safe medication administration, is needed. Key Words: medication safety, medication administration, risk, attitude, Safe Administration of Medication (SAM) scale (J Patient Saf 2015;11: 166Y173)
M
uch of the safety literature has focused on the importance of creating a culture of safety. Although this is critical, it is equally imperative that the nurse has necessary internal factors including personal commitment to safety. The most common breach in patient safety that occurs in hospital settings are medication errors.1 Nurses are often viewed as the last line of defense to protect against medication errors.2 Safe medication administration is a nursing safety concern of international relevance. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) project includes safe medication administration as part of the competency of safety, and identified the knowledge, skills, and attitudes appropriate to the safety competency.3 Much of nursing education and nursing research focuses on the knowledge and skills of safe medication administration; however, little attention has been paid to examining attitude. The propensity to take risks is one aspect of attitude that impacts safety behavior. Risk propensity is one aspect of attitude that impacts safety. For this study, risk propensity is simply defined as an inclination or tendency to take risks. Hillson and Murray-Webster4 have defined risk attitude as the chosen response of an individual or From the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska. Correspondence: Kelly Gonzales, PhD, RN, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE (e
