Errors In NICU Summary

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Every mother looks forward to the day there baby is finally born. Waiting for that first moment to hear the baby cry and to hold them. When the day comes to give birth, they are hoping that there are minimal to no complications. When complications do arise or your new born infant has come prematurely, the infant is most likely cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Infants in the NICU are among the most vulnerable patients. Prematurity, severity of illness, limited compensatory mechanisms, prolonged hospitalization and a challenging environment all increase their risk of exposure to medical errors, especially errors in medication administration (Jennifer B. Lomoine & Helen M. Hurst, 2012). Medication dosing in the NICU is universally weight-based, often requiring complex dosage calculations. A multicenter study reported that…show more content…
These computer based systems are used to direct nurses in the clinical decision-making process. The software is designed to identify specific patient characteristics, such as weight and drug allergies, and to match them to a computerized clinical database that includes information such as safe medication ranges and lab values that require verification prior to medication administration (Jennifer B. Lomoine & Helen M. Hurst, 2012). The way this information was expressed in this article was very informative. Medication errors can happen at any time, but I never thought there were so many errors in administering medication to infants. After reading the article I would agree that the technology of smart pumps would help in reducing medication dosing error. Infants in the NICU are extremely vulnerable and any mistake can be life threatening. In my opinion, the information in this article would be useful for a Nurse who works with new born infants, even more in the NICU. Works
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