Date of Award

2016

Degree Name

PhD Nursing

Dissertation Committee

Linda D. Urden, DNSc, RN, CNS, NE-BC, FAAN, Chairperson; Ann M. Mayo, DNSc, RN, FAAN; Jane M. Georges, PhD, RN

Abstract

Background: Organizations rely on the accurate reporting of medication errors or omissions by bedside nurses to improve the medication delivery system in order to prevent further errors from occurring in the future. In a time where nurses are managing more complex patients with shorter lengths of stay, full engagement in the role is essential. Literature from other disciplines suggests that many factors can influence work engagement (Chughtai & Buckley, 2011; Schaufeli, Salanova, González-Romá & Bakker, 2002; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003). Two of these factors include organizational commitment and organizational-based self-esteem (Allen & Meyer, 1990; Bowling, Eschleman, Wang, Kirkendall & Alarcon, 2010).

The aim for this non-experimental, cross-sectional correlational study was to test an investigator developed conceptual model to determine if relationships exist between organizational commitment (OC), organizational-based self-esteem (OBSE), work engagement and nurses’ perception of medication errors from a sample of RNs working in acute care facilities throughout the United States.

Methods: This study took place at two national nursing conferences in the United States during the fall of 2015. Nurses spending at least 50% of their time at the bedside in an acute care facility were asked to participate. A paper survey measuring organizational commitment, organizational-based self-esteem, work engagement and nurse perception of medication errors was administered and results analyzed using SPSS version 23 and AMOS/mPlus software.

Results: The findings from this study indicated that there was a significant negative relationship between OBSE and nurses’ perception of medication errors and that no statistically significant relationships existed between organizational commitment, nurse work engagement and nurses’ perception of medication errors. Additionally, nurse and facility attributes did not statistically contribute to nurses’ perception of medication errors with the independent variables accounting for only 18% of the variance.

Conclusion: This study is the first of its kind to evaluate the relationships between organizational commitment, nurse work engagement and OBSE on nurses’ perception of medication errors The results of this study suggest that as OBSE increases, perceived medication error reporting decreases. Further research is needed to better understand OBSE in the nursing profession and its implications in other areas of nursing research.

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Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Nursing

Included in

Nursing Commons

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