Nursing Students’ Perception of Anxiety and Illegible Handwriting as Contributing Factors to Increased Medication Error Risks in Southern Philippines

Abstract

Background: Nursing is a demanding profession, increasingly burdened by a global shortage of healthcare workers, particularly nurses. This shortage elevates the risk of medication errors, a leading cause of preventable harm in healthcare systems. Among nursing students, reported rates of medication errors vary significantly, underscoring the need for targeted educational interventions to address personal factors such as sleep deprivation and anxiety. Methods: This descriptive survey study assessed the perceived susceptibility to medication errors among nursing students at Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), College of Health Sciences (CHS), focusing on students in Levels 2 to 4. The aim was to understand students' perceptions of their vulnerability to medication errors in clinical settings, informing the development of targeted interventions to enhance patient safety. A sample of 173 students was selected through stratified random sampling. An online questionnaire, adapted from the Medication Error Questionnaire, assessed susceptibility across technical, human, operator, and organisational factors. The questionnaire demonstrated face validity and reliability, with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.842. Data analysis using ANOVA identified differences in susceptibility across academic year levels. Results: The findings indicate that nursing students demonstrate low susceptibility to medication errors, with scores of 3.39 for technical factors, 2.71 for knowledge-related human factors, 2.43 for personal-related human factors, 2.02 for environmental-related organizational factors, and 2.69 for administrative-related organizational factors. Most respondents positively acknowledged the statements but identified key risk factors, including sleep deprivation, anxiety, illegible handwriting, and excessive patient assignments. Notably, no significant differences in susceptibility were found across academic year levels, challenging the assumption that senior students possess greater competence. Conclusion: Targeted educational interventions are crucial to reduce medication error risks among nursing students. Recommendations include incorporating time management and self-care practices into the curriculum, enhancing simulation training, and fostering supportive environments. Addressing these issues may improve student well-being and patient safety, warranting further exploration of the effects of sleep and anxiety on clinical performance.