Medication Administration Errors: Perceptions of Jordanian Nurses.

Background: Medication administration errors (MAEs) have short- and long-term implications on patients' health as well as on hospitals' accreditation and financial status.

Purpose: The purpose was to explore Jordanian nurses' perceptions about MAEs.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of 470 nurses.

Results: The most common types of MAEs were wrong time (32.6%) and wrong patient (30.5%). In addition, night shifts accounted for 42.9% of MAEs; the factor that contributed the most to MAEs was workload.

Conclusion: Developing effective quality assurance programs in relation to medications and medication administration in all Jordanian health care settings is vital to ensure patient safety. Nursing educators in clinical and academic settings need to reinforce the importance of medication rights as well as medication calculation. A distraction-free zone should be created and reinforced in all medication rooms.