NURS FPX 4020 Assessment 1 Enhancing Quality and Safety NURS-FPX 4020 Improving Quality of Care and Patient Safety
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Enhancing Quality and Safety
Medication administration errors in healthcare settings are a significant and pressing issue impacting patient safety. The Institute of Medicine’s report highlights the severity of this problem, revealing that nearly one million individuals in the United States are affected annually by such errors. This alarming statistic underlines the urgency of addressing medication safety, particularly for vulnerable populations like LGBTQ+ and transgender individuals, who often face unique healthcare challenges (Bebo et al., 2022).
The objective of this assessment is to comprehensively analyze these challenges, focusing on factors leading to medication errors and propose evidence-based solutions. It aims to scrutinize the roles of nurses and other healthcare stakeholders in mitigating these risks, guided by established standards such as those from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). The ultimate goal is to enhance patient safety and reduce healthcare costs, ensuring more inclusive, equitable, and effective healthcare.
Factors Leading to Patient-Safety Risk in a Healthcare Setting
In healthcare settings, medication administration errors constitute a significant safety risk, particularly for LGBTQ+ and transgender patients, a concern underscored by several key factors and addressed by specific standards. The primary issue is the heightened risk of these errors due to a combination of systemic barriers and the specific healthcare needs of this patient group. One critical factor is the lack of healthcare provider knowledge and training in transgender-specific healthcare needs. Boyd et al. (2022) found that many healthcare providers are not adequately trained to manage the unique aspects of transgender healthcare, such as hormone therapy, leading to potential medication errors.
Additionally, discrimination and negative experiences in healthcare settings, as highlighted by Soled et al. (2022), lead many transgender individuals to delay or avoid seeking medical care, increasing the risk of unmanaged or improperly managed medication. Another significant factor is the disparity in health insurance coverage. Bhatt et al. (2022) reported that transgender individuals have disproportionately lower rates of health insurance coverage, which limits their access to consistent healthcare and proper medication management.
Addressing these challenges, the WPATH Standards of Care specifically emphasize the need for healthcare providers to be well-versed in the pharmacological aspects of transgender care. These standards highlight the importance of understanding the interactions between hormone therapies and other medications. They provide detailed guidance on appropriate hormone level monitoring, dosage adjustments, and identifying potential adverse drug interactions. Adherence to these standards is crucial for reducing the risk of medication administration errors, thus ensuring safer healthcare delivery for transgender patients (WPATH, n.d.).