448). However, due to the recent introduction of the CPOE system (Computerized Physician Order Entry), the authors surmise that this system will help to eliminate up to 80% of all medication errors (Tang, Sheu, Yu, Wei and Chen, 2007, p. 448).
Third, the authors make it abundantly clear that nurses themselves must accept the bulk of the responsibility when it comes to transcribing, dispensing and administering medications to patients. Of course, if the prescription itself, almost always filled out by a physician, is inaccurate, then the responsibility falls upon the prescribing physician, a situation which then leads to nurses dispensing and administering the wrong medication. In addition, the authors provide an analysis related to nurses failing to report their medication mistakes to the proper hospital/clinic authorities, due perhaps to "shame,...
449).
One point in the article which lacks additional research and information is that medication errors are seen by most experts as failures of the medical system, rather than as failures on the part of the professionalism of nurses. This viewpoint seems somewhat unfair to the entire medical profession, for it is nurses themselves that make most medication errors;
however, this may be due to the complexity of the nursing profession itself and the obvious existence of stress and peer pressure in a modern-day hospital environment.
REFERENCES
Tang, Fu-in, Sheu, Shuh-Jen, Yu, Shu, Wei, Ien-Lan, and Ching-Huey Chen. (2007).
Nurses relate the…
