EXPERIENCES OF MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION PRACTICES AMONG NURSES AT PUBLIC HOSPITALS OF HARARI REGIONAL STATE, EASTERN ETHIOPIA: PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY DESIGN

Abstract

Background: The unsafe medication administration practice is one of the most medication problems causing harm and death to patients and the most important challenges threatening the healthcare systems worldwide. However, there is much variation in ward-based systems between and within countries. This, in turn, varies the frequency of different types of unsafe practices. Studies were focusing to identify the magnitude and predictors of medication administration errors quantitatively. Such prediction by the researcher may bias the result; as it was objective based approach. Objective: To assess the experience of medication administration practices among nurses at the public hospitals of Harari regional state, the eastern part of Ethiopia, from March 1-31, 2019 Methods: A phenomenological approach qualitative study design was used to explore contributing factors of medication administration practices from March1- 31, 2019. A total of 11 participants were selected based on the purposive criterion technique. The majority (7/11) of them was nurses without any position and participated as in-depth interviewee. The tape recorder was used to record data from in-depth interview sample guide and key informant interview sample guide questions. The data collection, transcription and translation were simultaneously processed. The translated data were exported to open code software version 3.4 for writing memos to anchor codes (subcategory) and coding based on in vivo. The coded data under each category has been printed and written under their inductive thematic areas. Result: the study explored factors contributing to unsafe Medication administration practices under 3 thematic areas i) Culture within organization: Resource and environment; Policy and process; supervision; collaboration (ii) Precondition challenges: patients conditions and ordered medication; medication factors and chain of its process(iii) individual nurses factor: personal motivation; dimension of cognition. Conclusion: The organizational culture/system was found to be a major factor affecting the medication administration practice. Therefore, improving organization culture can prevent those other factors through tailor-made intervention