THE EFFECT OF AN INTEGRATED APPROACH USING DRUG DOSE CALCULATION SOFTWARE AND THE TRADITIONAL METHOD ON THE RATE OF MEDICATION ERRORS IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT OF SHAHID MOTAHARI MEDICAL CENTER IN URMIA 2020

Execution of medication orders is one of the most common nursing activities and is
considered as the most important duty of the nurse, a task that is associated with high risk and always requires
care and observance of safety points by the nurse. To safely prescribe drugs in the clinic, the ability to calculate
drugs is one of the basic skills needed by nurses. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an
integrated approach using drug dose calculation software and traditional methods on the rate of medication
errors in the neonatal intensive care unit of Shahid Motahari Medical Center in Urmia in 2020
Materials & Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 55 nurses working in the neonatal intensive care unit
of Shahid Motahari Medical Center in Urmia in a group with pre-test and post-test design were included in the
study. The sampling method was easy (available). First, a pre-test was performed on 55 subjects, then the
intervention was held in the form of a workshop, and immediately after the intervention, three weeks later, and
one month after the test a researcher-made questionnaire was utilized to evaluate the capability, level of
knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the prevention of drug errors. The validity and reliability of the
instrument were determined by calculating the reliability coefficient of Spearman-Brown equal to 0.93. Data
were analyzed using SPSS software version 26 and Wilcoxon, Friedman, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests.
Results: The results of the study showed that the majority of participants were within the age group of 22 to
30 years, female, married, with a bachelor's degree, the number of patients under care in each shift was 5
patients, mostly rotating shifts, 11 to 15 years of work experience, GPA 15 Up to 17 and were experimental
diplomas. The results showed that after the intervention, there was a statistically significant difference in the
mean score of knowledge, interest, and attitude in calculating the drug dose electronically and mentally. The
mean score of attitude in the electronic method increased significantly compared to mental method (p <0.001).
After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the electronic method and the traditional
method in the error rate of nursing staff in the calculation of drug dose by routine and software methods
(p=0.000). Also, there was a significant difference between electronic mathematical anxiety compared to the
traditional and mental methods (p <0.001). The use of software helps create long-term learning and increases
learning stability, accuracy, positive attitude and correct performance and empowerment in nurses.
Conclusion: The electronic method helps improve the positive attitude of employees and also it can improve
the safety and quality of nursing services. The use of different types of information technologies can
significantly reduce the rate of medical errors and improve the quality of services provided to patients by
preventing medical errors and mistakes, and by evaluating errors and the care system.