title: Study: temporary ED staff twice as likely to be associated with medication errors that cause harm to patients.
abstract: Increasingly, hospital EDs are turning to temporary staff to plug holes in coverage and mitigate the impact of a national nursing shortage, but a new study suggests that these personnel are twice as likely as permanent staff to be associated with medication errors that cause harm to patients. While the underlying causes of this association are not clear, experts say ED managers should consider steps to ensure that temporary staff are well-prepared to deliver high-quality care. Take full advantage of former full-time nurses who are familiar with the hospital's policies, procedures, and culture. Always link temporary staff with a seasoned resource person they can go to with questions or concerns. Provide recognition to nurses who serve as preceptors to temporary personnel.
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce