Rough Draft Quantitative Research Critique and Ethical Considerations
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH CRITIQUE 2
Quantitative studies
1st article: Elliott, R. A., Lee, C. Y., Beanland, C., Vakil, K., & Goeman, D. (2016).
Medicines management, medication errors and adverse medication events in older people
referred to a community nursing service: a retrospective observational study. Drugs-real world
outcomes, 3(1), 13-24.
2nd article: Daupin, J., Atkinson, S., Bédard, P., Pelchat, V., Lebel, D., & Bussières, J.
F. (2016). Medication errors room: a simulation to assess the medical, nursing and pharmacy
staffs' ability to identify errors related to the medication‐use system. Journal of evaluation in
clinical practice, 22(6), 911-920.
Background
Medication errors
In healthcare settings, medication errors result from faults in communication systems.
The errors indicate a poor exchange of patient information between healthcare providers. They
lead to adverse and unexpected effects on patients. Medication errors occur mainly due to poor
nursing handoff communication and lack of coordinated care between healthcare
interprofessional teams (Hayes, Jackson, Davidson, & Power, 2015).
The problem has a significant impact on the quality of care delivered in the practice
environment. The nurses rely on coordination of care from interprofessional teams to realize
expected outcomes. In most cases, the blame on medication errors fall on the nurses; they are
obliged to execute planned interventions and completion of physician requests on the patients.
Nursing practices posses a significant impact on the whole system of care (Hayes, Jackson,
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Davidson, & Power, 2015). Nursing plays a central role in the hospital communication system;
exchange patient information, health needs, treatment outcomes with other professionals and
department for collaboration in services provision.
The purpose of the studies was to evaluate the awareness of healthcare providers and
patients regarding medication errors. The studies also aimed to determine the leading causes
contributing to increased incidences of medication errors. They equally explore the health
outcomes resulting from the mistakes and their impact on the organizational value. The articles
also purposed to assess the critical interventions and strategies that can be introduced within the
healthcare settings to offer a solution to the problem and reduce the incidences of error
occurrence.
The objectives of the studies are to generate sufficient evidence about the health issue
from the healthcare environment. The studies intend to utilize available evidence to suggest
effective interventions and system changes that might benefit nurses and healthcare organization
in solving the clinical problem under discussion.
Research question: For healthcare providers in healthcare units, how could increasing
awareness compared to the use of a computerized system reduce medication errors to patients
during the period of healthcare delivery?
Support of the nursing issue
The two presented articles provide information that conforms with the keywords used in
the PICOT question. The evidence and discussions in the materials will be used to offer
responses to the research questions. They will provide insight into the problem of medication
errors in the clinical units. They would analyze the level of understanding and awareness of
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH CRITIQUE 4
health professional to incidences of medication errors. The studies would be analyzed to provide
a comparative aspect of the contemporary interventions employed in hospitals (Elliott, Lee,
Beanland, Vakil, & Goeman, 2016). The articles synthesize the understanding of contributing
factors to the problem and possible remedy strategies in reducing the recurrence of the problem,
which is the main focus of the PICOT.
Interventions and comparison groups
The two articles championed for enhanced medicine management and integration of the
medication-use system in the care settings to assist in reducing medication errors. These
interventions possess a synergistic effect to the ones outlined in the PICOT. Increased awareness
of medication errors enables healthcare providers to appreciate the new systems and practices
introduced to the care units (Daupin, Atkinson, Bédard, Pelchat, Lebel, & Bussières, 2016). The
use of a computerized system is supportive of the implementation of strategies and plans in
solving the issue.
Comparison groups outlined in the PICOT involves health care providers and the patients
as recipients of the services. The articles focused on analyzing physicians, nursing, and
pharmacy staffs who are healthcare providers. The patients are hypothetically presented in the
evaluation of the impact of the clinical issue. Thus, all the comparison groups in both the PICOT
and the studies are relative and aligning to the discussion topic.
Method of study
The 1st article utilized a retrospective observational study method for a random sample of
100 people. The 2nd article used a descriptive cross‐sectional study method for a sample size of
500 participants.
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The retrospective observational method encompasses assessment of past medical records
and interviews that involved the comparison groups in the study. On the other hand, a cross-
sectional descriptive survey analyzes data resulting from the population of interest at a specific
point in time.
The retrospective observational method offers an opportunity for analysis of a variety of
factors contributing to the problem under study. However, it omits the measurement of specific
vital statistics, and it is affected by bias.
Descriptive cross-sectional study results in the collection of large amounts of data; that
can be used as precursors to future studies in nursing. But this method does not offer a
correlation of variables in the determination of cause and effect of situations.
Results of the study
1st article
The study identified shortcomings in medicines management. Inappropriate use of
medication charts and interdisciplinary medication review is evident in the survey. Improvement
in strategies for medication management in healthcare settings was suggested to control and
reduce incidences of medication errors (Elliott, Lee, Beanland, Vakil, & Goeman, 2016).
2nd article
Majority of healthcare professionals demonstrated insufficient knowledge regarding
medication errors. Some expressed a lack of understating of the causes of the problem and its
prevention measures. The simulation was identified as the most effective tool that can raise
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health care professionals' awareness of medication errors and its resolution strategies (Daupin,
Atkinson, Bédard, Pelchat, Lebel, & Bussières, 2016).
The implication of studies in nursing
The studies imply that nursing practice needs to be resilient in embracing and
implementing particular change interventions to solve clinical problems. They indicate that
research findings complement the provision of care through the introduction of new evidence-
based practices. The articles suggest that healthcare organizations should be supportive in the
working environment through the establishment of new integrated systems and resources that
could empower the nurses in managing clinical problems (Wilson, Palmer, Levett-Jones,
Gilligan, & Outram, 2016).
Outcome comparison
The expected outcomes for the PICOT involved generation of strategies and interventions
that could increase knowledge and awareness of health professionals to the issue of medication
errors. It anticipated a comparison between clinical awareness and use of the computer system in
reducing errors in care units. It also expected an outline of evidence-based practices in
minimizing mistakes.
The outcomes of the studies acknowledged a lack of awareness among healthcare
providers regarding medication errors. The reviews recommended strategic interventions to
control the problem and improve efficiency in services provision. The outcomes responded to
some of the expectations illustrated in the PICOT question.
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References
Daupin, J., Atkinson, S., Bédard, P., Pelchat, V., Lebel, D., & Bussières, J. F. (2016). Medication
errors room: a simulation to assess the medical, nursing and pharmacy staffs' ability to
identify errors related to the medication‐use system. Journal of evaluation in clinical
practice, 22(6), 911-920.
Elliott, R. A., Lee, C. Y., Beanland, C., Vakil, K., & Goeman, D. (2016). Medicines
management, medication errors and adverse medication events in older people referred to
a community nursing service: a retrospective observational study. Drugs-real world
outcomes, 3(1), 13-24.
Hayes, C., Jackson, D., Davidson, P. M., & Power, T. (2015). Medication errors in hospitals: a
literature review of disruptions to nursing practice during medication
administration. Journal of clinical nursing, 24(21-22), 3063-3076.
Wilson, A. J., Palmer, L., Levett-Jones, T., Gilligan, C., & Outram, S. (2016). Interprofessional
collaborative practice for medication safety: Nursing, pharmacy, and medical graduates’
experiences and perspectives. Journal of interprofessional care, 30(5), 649-654.
