Paediatric Emergency Nurses’ Perception of Medication Errors: A Qualitative Study

Patient safety is fundamental to healthcare. Adverse events particulary medication errors, cause harm to patients specially paediatric population in the emergency departament. Aim: To explore paediatric emergency nurses' perceptions of medication administration errors. Method: A qualitative, ethnomethodological, descriptive study. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with paediatric emergency nurses and analysed using Taylor and Bogdan's proposal. Results: Main categories extracted: 1) Safety culture transmitted by supervisors and safety groups. 2) Teamwork with good communication and a positive relationship. 3) Error management, the lack of formal support and negative feelings despite an understanding of the multifactorial nature of errors. The study identifies several challenges in the healthcare system. Emphasis on the per-ception of errors in terms of patient harm, while near misses or dose delays or omissions are not treated as errors. Conclusions: Although institutions have implemented safety culture strategies, nurses have not fully embraced them. Negative emotions and coping strategies are reported. There is a need to promote a positive safety culture and a safe working environment that encourages communica-tion within the team. Protocols could be adapted according to feasibility and perceived risk. The hospital should provide training in safe management and patient safety. This study was not reg-istered.