NURS FPX 4010 Assessment 2 Interview and Interdisciplinary Issue Identification

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX 4010 Leading in Intrprof Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Interview Summary

The interview was conducted at Gifford Medical Center, a 27-bed facility recognized for its dedication to providing quality healthcare services in Vermont. This hospital features contemporary infrastructure and offers a variety of services, including 24-hour emergency care and both inpatient and outpatient treatments (Gifford Health Care, n.d.). The interview was conducted with the senior registered nurse who worked at the center for a decade, performing duties such as administering medications, supervising patient progress, and collaborating with other healthcare experts to coordinate care.

Medication errors emerged as a prominent concern within the hospital, largely due to communication failures, high workload, and the difficulties involved in the medication administration process (Worafi, 2020). The organization’s implementation of electronic Medication Administration Records (eMAR) and ongoing training programs has partially mitigated the issue. The interviewee emphasized the need for a more holistic interdisciplinary strategy involving nurses, pharmacists, and physicians to reduce medication errors and enhance patient safety.

During the interview, two essential strategies were employed: open-ended questioning and active listening. Open-ended questions facilitated a comprehensive examination of the topic, enabling the candidate to provide valuable, detailed insights. Karnehed et al. (2024), highlight that open-ended questioning encourages respondents to express their views without external influence sincerely. Similarly, active listening played a pivotal role in capturing subtle details, creating an atmosphere of trust that prompted the interviewee to communicate more freely (Ozavci et al., 2022). According to this study, active listening helps establish understanding and affirm people’s emotions.

Issue Identification

Medication errors represent a critical challenge for healthcare facilities globally. A recent study reveals that in the United States (U.S), around 1.4 million individuals are impacted by medication errors annually, resulting in one fatality daily (Naseralallah et al., 2023). In the organization, these errors are mainly caused by inadequate communication, excessive staff workloads, and complicated medication management protocols. Despite multiple organizational initiatives, the continued frequency of these errors suggests that current strategies are inadequate, underlining the need for an inclusive, interdisciplinary approach to reduce this patient safety risk.

The intricacy of medication management, including numerous steps and diverse healthcare experts, demands interdisciplinary teamwork at each stage to find risks and develop effective solutions (Naseralallah et al., 2023). Interdisciplinary team development fosters a culture of collaboration, which drives continuous quality improvement by promoting safe medication practices and accurate reconciliation. This approach supports the creation of standardized protocols, reducing the risk of drug-related errors. Furthermore, this approach addresses communication barriers among team members, leading to fewer errors and enhanced patient outcomes (Gregory et al., 2021). Therefore, adopting an interdisciplinary strategy at Gifford Medical Center could enhance patient safety and reduce medication errors.

Change Theory That Could Lead to an Interdisciplinary Solution

Lewin’s change theory offers a valuable framework for developing an interdisciplinary approach to addressing medication errors at Gifford Medical Center. This model comprises three phases: Unfreezing, Changing, and Refreezing. During the Unfreezing phase, the organization recognizes the need for change, such as the ongoing challenge of medication errors (Barrow et al., 2022). The changing phase involves implementing new strategies to address the issue. Lastly, the refreezing phase integrates these changes into the organizational culture, establishing standardized practices (Barrow et al., 2022).

Lewin’s theory is relevant for addressing medication errors. It underscores the importance of preparing an organization for change by implementing new methods among interdisciplinary team members, including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. By adopting this structured framework, the hospital can reduce resistance to change and foster collaboration, leading to lasting improvements in medication safety.

Arabi et al. (2022) highlight the value of Lewin’s change theory in enhancing communication among interdisciplinary team members, a critical factor contributing to medication errors at Gifford Medical Center. The study’s peer-reviewed status underscores the theory’s success in healthcare settings through various quality improvement initiatives. It remains a reliable and appropriate outline for addressing multifaceted problems like medication errors through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Leadership Strategy That Could Lead to an Interdisciplinary Solution

Transformational leadership is an effective approach to crafting an interdisciplinary solution to medication errors. According to Deveaux et al. (2021), this leadership style focuses on inspiring and enabling team members toward a compelling vision. It cultivates an environment of innovation and collective responsibility. Transformational leadership facilitates the development of interdisciplinary solutions by motivating healthcare experts from diverse fields to engage actively in creating interventions.

It fosters open communication and empowers staff to take charge of patient safety. This approach is particularly pertinent to the issue at hand as it supports the necessary cultural shift towards greater interdisciplinary collaboration. Research has demonstrated that transformational leadership can lead to a reduction in medication errors by promoting the use of medication safety systems and encouraging collaborative practices (Chen et al., 2022).

This leadership style enhances teamwork and decreases errors by demonstrating collaborative behavior and acknowledging each team member’s contributions. Investigation reinforces the credibility of this approach, highlighting its positive effects on team performance and patient outcomes, making it a reliable strategy for addressing medication errors. The study by Chen et al. (2022), is most relevant to the issue, as it provides evidence that transformational leadership enhances teamwork and reduces medication errors by promoting safety systems and collaborative practices.

Collaboration Approach for Interdisciplinary Teams

A valuable collaborative strategy for reducing medication errors is establishing a medication safety committee. This committee generally comprises frontline healthcare professionals who regularly handle medications, including nurses, pharmacists, and physicians. Its primary responsibilities include supervision of medication safety protocols, developing strategies for improvement, and enforcing best practices such as medication reconciliation and standardized procedures (Chiewchantanakit et al., 2020). An effective approach to enhance this strategy is integrating a Collaborative Care Model (CCM) with technology tools.

By utilizing Electronic Medical Records (EHR) and automated dispensing systems, the interdisciplinary team can hold regular meetings to review and refine medication protocols. These technology tools support accurate medication dispensing and administration by providing real-time alerts and reducing manual errors. Through this model, team members collaborate to address electronic medication errors, ensuring that protocols are consistently followed and improved (Jessurun et al., 2021). This coordinated effort helps to minimize mistakes and enhance medication safety. The committee provides a structured framework for interdisciplinary cooperation focused on medication safety.

This setup enables the committee to tackle systemic issues and implement complete solutions, enhancing the collaborative environment at Gifford Medical Center. Moreover, implementing Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) enhances error prevention by ensuring accurate medication administration and providing real-time clinical guidance (Jessurun et al., 2021). It promotes improvement by frequently assessing practices and outcomes, allowing for adjustments to evolving needs and emerging risks. 

Conclusion

At Gifford Medical Center, medication errors emerged as a significant issue due to communication failures, heavy workloads, and complex medication processes. Despite eMAR and training efforts, these errors persist, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive interdisciplinary strategy. The interview employed open-ended questioning and active listening, revealing that a multidisciplinary approach, supported by Lewin’s change theory and transformational leadership, could address these challenges. 

References

Arabi, Y. M., Al Ghamdi, A. A., Al-Moamary, M., Al Mutrafy, A., AlHazme, R. H., & Al Knawy, B. A. (2022). Electronic medical record implementation in a large healthcare system from a leadership perspective. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-022-01801-0

Barrow, J. M., Toney-Butler, T. J., & Annamaraju, P. (2022). Change management. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459380/ 

Chen, J., Ghardallou, W., Comite, U., Ahmad, N., Ryu, H. B., Ariza-Montes, A., & Han, H. (2022). Managing hospital employees’ burnout through transformational leadership: The role of resilience, role clarity, and intrinsic motivation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), 10941. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710941

NURS FPX 4010 Assessment 2 Interview and Interdisciplinary Issue Identification

Chiewchantanakit, D., Meakchai, A., Pituchaturont, N., Dilokthornsakul, P., & Dhippayom, T. (2020). The effectiveness of medication reconciliation to prevent medication error: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 16(7), 886–894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.10.004

Deveaux, D., Kaplan, S., Gabbe, L., & Mansfield, L. (2021). Transformational leadership meets innovative strategy: How nurse leaders and clinical nurses redesigned bedside handover to improve nursing practice. Nurse Leader, 20(3), 290–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2021.10.010

Gifford Health Care. (n.d.). Gifford Medical Center. Giffordhealthcare.org. https://giffordhealthcare.org/location/gifford-medical-center/

Gregory, L. R., Lim, R., MacCullagh, L., Riley, T., Tuqiri, K., Heiler, J., & Peters, K. (2021). Intensive care nurses’ experiences with the new electronic medication administration record. Nursing Open, 9(3), 1895–1901. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.939

Jessurun, J. G., Hunfeld, N. G. M., Rosmalen, J., Dijk, M., & Bemt, P. M. L. A. (2021). Effect of automated unit dose dispensing with barcode scanning on medication administration errors: An uncontrolled before-and-after study. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33(4), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzab142

Karnehed, S., Pejner, M. N., Erlandsson, L.-K., & Petersson, L. (2024). Electronic medication administration record (eMAR) in Swedish home healthcare-implications for nurses’ and nurse assistants’ work environment: A qualitative study. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 38(2), 347–357. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.13237

Naseralallah, L., Stewart, D., Price, M. J., & Paudyal, V. (2023). Prevalence, contributing factors, and interventions to reduce medication errors in outpatient and ambulatory settings: A systematic review. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 45(6), 1359–1377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-023-01626-5

NURS FPX 4010 Assessment 2 Interview and Interdisciplinary Issue Identification

Ozavci, G., Bucknall, T., Kron, R., Hughes, C., Jorm, C., & Manias, E. (2022). Creating opportunities for patient participation in managing medications across transitions of care through formal and informal modes of communication. Health Expectations, 25(4), 1807–1820. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13524

Worafi, Y. M. (2020). Medication errors. Drug Safety in Developing Countries, 59–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-819837-7.00006-6