Nurses' perceptions of medication errors.

Abstract

This study reports nurses' perceptions of medication errors and of their appropriate reporting. Thirty-three percent of the participants believed the main cause of medication errors was nurses' tiredness or exhaustion, while 30% of participants indicated that the main cause was the poor legibility or illegibility of physcians' writing on the doctor's order form. Some medication errors were not reported because nurses were afraid of reprisals (63%).