Many Nursing Home Mistakes Go Undetected, Study Says

By Daniel Hawn

Published on November 01, 2006

The study, published in the journal Nursing Forum, looked at medication delivery in five nursing homes. The results show that medication errors may be responsible for a large part of preventable health care mistakes, which, according to the study, are the eighth most common cause of death.

The research suggests that nursing home leaders are aware of less than 5 percent of the medication mistakes that occur, while staffers are aware of all of them. Dr. Jill Scott-Cawiezell, the study’s lead researcher, said that even small medication errors can have dire consequences since many nursing home residents are frail and elderly.

During the study, nursing home workers complained of a number of issues that may be partially responsible for the problem, including disorganization, unclear job duties, and a lack of support from leaders.

Researchers concluded that nursing homes are strapped for resources and that nursing home leaders often face an overwhelming amount of work.

As a way of correcting the problems, the study suggests that nursing homes create a “culture of safety," in which staff members feel responsible for patients’ safety and team leaders facilitate communication at all levels, as well as invite staff to participate in decision-making processes.

Comment on this article →