title: Patient safety and technology-driven medication - A qualitative study on how graduate nursing students navigate through complex medication administration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The technology-driven medication process is complex, involving advanced technologies, patient participation and increased safety measures. Medication administration errors are frequently reported, with nurses implicated in 26-38% of in-hospital cases. This points to the need for new ways of educating nursing students in today's medication administration.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore nursing students' experiences and competences with the technology-driven medication administration process.
  
  
  METHODS
  16 pre-graduate nursing students were included in two focus group interviews which were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using the systematic horizontal phenomenological-hermeneutic template methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The interviews uncovered that understanding the technologies; professionalism and patient safety are three crucial elements in the medication process. The students expressed positivity and confidence in using technology, but were fearful of committing serious medication errors. From the nursing students' perspective, experienced nurses deviate from existing guidelines, leaving them feeling isolated in practical learning situations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Having an unclear nursing role model for the technology-driven medication process, nursing students face difficulties in identifying and adopting best practices. The impact of using technology on the frequency, type and severity of medication errors; the technologies implications on nursing professionalism and the nurses ability to secure patient adherence to the medication process, still remains to be studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Amager-Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark; University Amager-Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark. Electronic address: janne.orbaek@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Orbæk
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Amager-Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark. Electronic address: mette.gaard@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaard
authors.affiliation: Department of Development and Quality, University Amager-Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark. Electronic address: pia.keinicke.fabricius@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fabricius
authors.affiliation: University Amager-Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark; Department of Emergency, University Amager-Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark. Electronic address: sainilefevre@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rikke S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Lefevre
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals Center for Nursing and Care Research, Denmark. Electronic address: tom@ucsf.dk.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Møller
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004360:Drug Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008509:Medication Systems; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013338:Students, Nursing
keywords: Medication administration; Nursing student; Patient safety; Technology