Using simulations to identify nursing student behaviors: A longitudinal study of medication administration

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes adverse drug events as a serious public health problem. Nurses routinely administer patient medications and must be safe when delivering care. Typically, students are taught the traditional rights method (RM) of safe medication administration in the skills laboratory and through the use of high-f delity simulation scenarios. The RM includes measures of ensuring the right patient, right medication, right dose, right time, and right route. This pilot study demonstrates changes in verif cation of the rights among junior and senior nursing students in four simulation scenarios over the course of one academic year. The f ndings suggest that students become more neglectful in verif cation of the rights prior to medication administration as they progress through the curriculum. This study should help educators identify signif cant focus areas for clinical supervisors, including the importance of increased verif cation of the rights of safe medication administration in the clinical setting.