The Implementation of an Electronic Medication Management System in a Nursing Home.

Nurse leaders are responsible for medication management and medication safety in any health care setting. Medication errors can occur at any stage in the therapeutic use of medication from drug prescribing to administration to the resident. The change agent advocates the implementation of an electronic medication management system to reduce medication errors and to improve patient safety. The change agent therefore chose the implementation of an electronic medication management system to reduce medication errors for this change project with the aim of improving the safety of residents and improving the quality of care in the organisation. The HSE change model was used to provide a systematic and disciplined approach to implementing the change. The change agent collected data by various approaches including observation, audits, surveys and interviews. The change resulted in a reduction in medication errors and near misses in the organisation. The change agent required strong and committed leadership to initiate this significant change and lead the process to a successful outcome.