Nurse's Perceptions about Causes of Medication Errors: a Qualitative Study

Medication errors are known as the most common preventable and life threatening medical errors. This study aimed to explore perceptions of nurses on medication errors. Methods & Materials: This was a qualitative study with content analysis approach. Seventeen nurses were selected purposefully from the intensive care units of Shohada hospital in khoramabad in 2012. Data were gathered using semi structural interviews with the nurses. Data were analyzed using the Lundman and Graneheim method. We used the Linclon and Gouba method to ensure a ccuracy and trustworthiness of the data. Four main categories and six subcategories were recognized including: 1) Management factors (inefficiency in recruitment of human power, poor physical condition and workload); 2) Inefficiency in professionalism (lack of commitment among nurses, insufficient knowledge and inefficiency in the inter professional relationship); 3) Failure in the process of drug prescription by physicians; and 4) Failure in production and packaging drugs by drug companies. Training and recruiting professional and committed nurses, using electronic medical files, supervision on pharmacy companies to produce and package proper medication can reduce medication errors.