title: Nurses' perceptions of and satisfaction with the medication administration system in long-term-care homes.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore nurses' perceptions of and level of satisfaction with the medication administration system in long-term care (LTC). The cross-sectional survey design included both quantitative and open-ended questions. Data were collected from licensed registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) at 9 LTC residences in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Using independent sample t tests, the researchers found that RNs were significantly less satisfied than RPNs with their medication administration system, particularly with respect to safety issues. RNs identified a number of related barriers, including time constraints, poor packaging, insufficient drug information, prescription changes, lack of staff competency, and unwieldy medication carts. Implications for practice and policy are discussed, including recommendations for improving medication administration practices and for addressing the workload demands of LTC nurses.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaasalainen
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dolovich
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brazil
authors.forename: Noori
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akhtar-Danesh
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004348:Drug Labeling; D004349:Drug Packaging; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008134:Long-Term Care; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009864:Ontario