A process centered analysis of medication administration: Identifying current methods and potential for improvement

Abstract Medication administration is an increasingly complex process that requires adaptability by nurses. In this study, twenty-one observational sessions of the medication administration process were conducted on a Medical/Surgical unit, and the processes used by nurses were analyzed to discover systemic process variability and determine possible best practices. When nurses instituted a patient medication order and medication review cycle prior to the other activities associated with medication administration, it was more likely that discrepancies in physician orders, electronic medication administration records, and missing medications would be mitigated within the same medication pass. Relevance to industry This research specifically investigates the process flows involved in medication administration This work is a starting point in an effort to establish industry best practices and to identify the variables, such as technology use, facility layout, and process interruptions, which impact their standardization.