Errors in parenteral medication administration: nursing technicians' perspective

Objective: To analyze the nursing technicians' understanding of errors and adverse events related to parenteral medication administration. Methods: This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study conducted with 25 nursing technicians at a university hospital in Northeastern Brazil, between March and June 2017. An interview script with open questions was used for data collection. In the data analysis, the Descending Hierarchical Classification method was used through the IRAMUTEQ software. Minayo's thematic analysis technique was chosen for content analysis. Results: In the analysis of the Descending Hierarchical Classification, five classes were obtained, from which the following categories emerged: Nursing technicians' understanding of medication errors; Nursing technicians' understanding of adverse events; Associated factors and strategies for preventing errors and adverse events; and Conduct before the occurrence of errors and adverse events. Conclusion: Nursing technicians showed that their understanding of adverse events is limited to the concept of adverse reactions. They understand that its occurrence is linked not only to lack of attention but also to extrinsic factors such as work overload, a considerable number of patients and inadequate dimensioning. They recognize the importance of communication and notification in this process for improving patient safety.