title: Aged-care nurses in rural Tasmanian clinical settings more likely to think hypothetical medication error would be reported and disclosed compared to hospital and community nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to determine the likelihood that rural nurses perceive a hypothetical medication error would be reported in their workplace.
  
  
  METHODS
  This employs cross-sectional survey using hypothetical error scenario with varying levels of harm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical settings in rural Tasmania.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 116 eligible surveys received from registered and enrolled nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequency of responses indicating the likelihood that severe, moderate and near miss (no harm) scenario would 'always' be reported or disclosed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty per cent of nurses viewed a severe error would 'always' be reported, 64.8% a moderate error and 45.7% a near-miss error. In regards to disclosure, 54.7% felt this was 'always' likely to occur for a severe error, 44.8% for a moderate error and 26.4% for a near miss. Across all levels of severity, aged-care nurses were more likely than nurses in other settings to view error to 'always' be reported (ranging from 72-96%, P = 0.010 to 0.042,) and disclosed (68-88%, P = 0.000). Those in a management role were more likely to view error to 'always' be disclosed compared to those in a clinical role (50-77.3%, P = 0.008-0.024).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further research in rural clinical settings is needed to improve the understanding of error management and disclosure.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carnes
authors.affiliation: Pro-Vice Chancellor (Students), University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.|Agency for Clinical Innovation, NSW Health, Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iedema
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D030881:Disclosure; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000451:nursing*; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses' / Q000592:standards*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D012424:Rural Population; D013648:Tasmania
keywords: disclosure; error management; medication error; reporting; rural nurse