Files and links (1)
AcceptedCC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Mitigating opioid errors in inpatient palliative care: A qualitative study
Collegian (Royal College of Nursing, Australia), Vol.27(3), pp.304-312
06/2020
Metrics
47 File views/ downloads
43 Record Views
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites
Abstract
Background
Opioids are a high-risk medicine used in high doses and volumes in specialist palliative care inpatient services to manage palliative patients’ pain and other symptoms. Despite the high volume of opioid use in this care setting, serious errors with opioids are exceedingly rare. However, little is known about the factors that mitigate opioid errors in specialist palliative care inpatient services.
Aim
To explore palliative care clinicians’ perceptions of factors that mitigate opioid errors in specialist palliative care inpatient services.
Methods and design
A qualitative study using focus groups and semi-structured interviews.
Participants and setting
Registered nurses, doctors, and/or pharmacists (‘clinicians’) who were involved with and/or had oversight of the services’ opioid delivery and/or opioid quality and safety processes, employed by one of three specialist palliative care inpatient services in metropolitan NSW.
Findings
Fifty-eight participants took part in this study, three-quarters (76%) of which were palliative care nurses. A positive opioid safety culture was central to mitigating opioid errors in specialist palliative care inpatient services. This culture of opioid safety was founded on clear and consistent safety messages from leadership, clinicians empowered to work together and practise safely, and a non-punitive approach to errors when they occurred. The clinical nurse educator was seen as pivotal to shaping, driving and reinforcing safe opioid delivery practices across the palliative care service.
Conclusion
Creating and sustaining a positive opioid safety culture, and promoting a non-punitive approach to opioid error and reporting, is essential to mitigating opioid errors in the specialist palliative care inpatient setting.
Details
- Title
- Mitigating opioid errors in inpatient palliative care: A qualitative study
- Creators
- Nicole Heneka - The University of Notre Dame AustraliaPriyanka Bhattarai - The University of Notre Dame AustraliaTim Shaw - University of SydneyDebra Rowett - University of South AustraliaSamuel Lapkin - University of WollongongJane L. Phillips - University of Technology Sydney
- Publication Details
- Collegian (Royal College of Nursing, Australia), Vol.27(3), pp.304-312
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Identifiers
- 991013092526002368
- Copyright
- © 2019 Australian College of Nursing Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article