Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Medication errors are well documented in medical literature and the lay press. Through participation in a nationwide institute for healthcare improvement initiative, our emergency department performance improvement group focused on human and system factors that contributed to potential medication errors. ⋯ Measures to decrease the potential of medication errors include: (1) a workplace environment that promotes reporting of medication errors or "close calls" by staff, with counseling events utilized as learning opportunities versus punitive incidents; (2) increased frequency of medication safety in-service sessions; and (3) periodic monitoring of Pyxis machine inventories to survey contents for optimum patient safety.
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Work-related stress in the emergency department previously has been linked to depression and burnout; however, these findings have not been extended to the development of anxiety disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Three sets of factors have been shown to contribute to stress in ED personnel: organizational characteristics, patient care, and the interpersonal environment. The current study addressed whether an association exists between sources of workplace stress and PTSD symptoms. ⋯ These findings underscore the need for hospital administrations to be aware of the extent of workplace stress and PTSD symptoms in their employees. Improving the interpersonal climate in the workplace may be useful in ameliorating PTSD symptoms.