title: Risk Propensity and Safe Medication Administration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between risk propensity and safe medication administration, while also providing additional evidence of validity and reliability on the Safe Administration of Medication (SAM) Scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of nursing students from a private Midwest university in the United States was invited to participate in the study. Fourth-year nursing students completed 2 instruments: revised Domain-Specific Risk-Taking and Risk Perception (DOSPERT) Scale, which measures risk propensity, and the SAM Scale, which measures knowledge and performance of safe medication administration. Second-year nursing students completed the SAM Scale; their scores were used to provide evidence of construct validity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between personal risk taking in the area of health/safety and safe medication administration in nursing students. No statistically significant relationship was found between risk perception and safe medication administration. In addition, the study provided evidence of the validity and reliability of the SAM Scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is among the first to demonstrate a relationship between risk propensity and safe medication administration. Further research into personal risk taking, risk perception and its impact on patient safety, specifically safe medication administration, is needed.
authors: From the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
authors: Kelly
authors: K
authors: Gonzales
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061214:Patient Safety; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013338:Students, Nursing; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations