Evaluating Pediatric Nurse Adherence to the Six Rights of Medication Administration

Pediatric medication errors pose significant risks to patient safety. Research suggests that mobile phones aid in scanning barcodes, issuing alerts, verifying medical details, and documenting medication administration in real-time. However, limited studies examine their impact on adherence to the six rights of medication administration, necessitating further research. This quantitative project conducted a gap analysis to assess mobile phone use and nurses’ compliance with the six rights in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at a free-standing children’s hospital in the Southwestern U.S. A pre-intervention survey using the Medication Administration Evaluation and Feedback Tool (MAEFT) analyzed adherence rates, with findings compared to a future post-intervention study after implementing workstations on wheels (WOWs). Descriptive statistics with cross-tabulation were used to evaluate nurse-reported adherence and perceptions. The quality improvement project had an Institutional Review Board (IRB) exemption, as it involved minimal risk and no identifiable patient data. Preliminary findings indicated that mobile phone-assisted medication administration enhances compliance, particularly in dosage accuracy and patient identification. Nurses reported improved workflow efficiency and fewer distractions compared to traditional methods. The gap analysis suggested that integrating mobile phones into pediatric medication administration improves adherence rates, enhances efficiency, and ultimately strengthens patient safety.