Safety Practices in Medication Administration by Nurses
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Safety in medication administration poses a challenge for nursing due to the persistence of errors that compromise the quality of care and patient safety. The objective of this study was to analyze nursing practices related to medication administration safety, considering their relevance in Latin American hospitals. A qualitative, documentary, non-experimental study with an exploratory and descriptive scope was conducted through a structured narrative review of the scientific literature and a thematic analysis of preventive practices, associated factors, and interventions. The results showed a 73.8% rate of agreement in the identification of safety barriers and a 36.2% error rate in observed medication administrations. Furthermore, the interventions evaluated showed a significant overall reduction in errors, albeit with high heterogeneity. The discussion established that the recognition of preventive measures does not guarantee their clinical application, while interruptions and the workload influence the safety of the procedure. It is concluded that strengthening safe medication administration requires integrating professional competencies, protocol compliance, organizational conditions, and supportive technologies through contextualized strategies and continuous evaluations.
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