Pediatric Nurses' Perspectives on Medication Teaching in a Children's Hospital

- Effective medication teaching with caregivers is critical for children's safety.
- Pediatric nurses view medication teaching as an opportunity to prepare caregivers.
- Structure and process challenges hinder effective medication teaching.
- Improving current teaching practices is needed to help prevent medication errors.

PurposeTo explore inpatient pediatric nurses' current experiences and perspectives on medication teaching.Design and MethodsA descriptive qualitative study was conducted at a Midwest pediatric hospital. Using convenience sampling, 26 nurses participated in six focus groups. Data were analyzed in an iterative group coding process.ResultsThree themes emerged. 1) Medication teaching is an opportunity. 2) Medication teaching is challenging. Nurses experienced structural and process challenges to deliver medication teaching. Structural challenges included the physical hospital environment, electronic health record, and institutional discharge workflow while process challenges included knowledge, relationships and interactions with caregivers, and available resources. 3) Medication teaching is amenable to improvement.ConclusionEffective medication teaching with caregivers is critical to ensure safe, quality care for children after discharge. Nursing teaching practices have not changed, despite advances in technology and major changes in hospital care. Nurses face many challenges to conduct effective medication teaching. Improving current teaching practices is imperative in order to provide the best and safest care.Practice ImplicationsThis study generated knowledge regarding pediatric nurses' teaching practices, values and beliefs that influence teaching, barriers, and ideas for how to improve medication teaching. Results will guide the development of targeted interventions to promote successful medication teaching practices.