Introduction
One of the most common, and yet highly responsible,
activities carried out by Nurses is the administration of
medication. To administer medication effectively and safely
requires several skills, not least the ability to calculate drug
dosages accurately (Grandell-Niemi et al. 2003). Studies have
shown that 30–40% of medication administration errors are
related to drug calculation errors (Schulmeister 1999), and
that this might even be an under-representation (Weeks et al.
2000).
Drug calculation errors occur either because of the
numerical (mathematical) inability of the person to perform
basic functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division and use of decimals and fractions and/or because of
the inability of the individual to conceptually extract the
correct information from the drug calculation problem in
order to set up the mathematical calculation needed (Wright
2007). Blais and Bath (1992), in their study with 66 nursing
students, found that 68% of the errors made were due to
conceptual errors (inability to set up the problem correctly),
while Segatore et al. (1993) identified that 91% of the errors
in their study were conceptual in nature. Clearly, both clinical
effectiveness and patient safety are at risk if inaccurate drug
doses are administered either due to poor numerical skills
and/or poor drug calculation skills (Department of Health
2000).
Introduction
One of the most common, and yet highly responsible,
activities carried out by Nurses is the administration of
medication. To administer medication effectively and safely
requires several skills, not least the ability to calculate drug
dosages accurately (Grandell-Niemi et al. 2003). Studies have
shown that 30–40% of medication administration errors are
related to drug calculation errors (Schulmeister 1999), and
that this might even be an under-representation (Weeks et al.
2000).
Drug calculation errors occur either because of the
numerical (mathematical) inability of the person to perform
basic functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division and use of decimals and fractions and/or because of
the inability of the individual to conceptually extract the
correct information from the drug calculation problem in
order to set up the mathematical calculation needed (Wright
2007). Blais and Bath (1992), in their study with 66 nursing
students, found that 68% of the errors made were due to
conceptual errors (inability to set up the problem correctly),
while Segatore et al. (1993) identified that 91% of the errors
in their study were conceptual in nature. Clearly, both clinical
effectiveness and patient safety are at risk if inaccurate drug
doses are administered either due to poor numerical skills
and/or poor drug calculation skills (Department of Health
2000).
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