Overview
A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care prof...
A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional. Medication errors are the most common type of adverse event in healthcare — affecting approximately 1.5 million patients annually in North America — and are a major focus of NCLEX-RN questions on safety and professional accountability. Disclosure refers to the ethical and legal obligation to inform the patient (and family/substitute decision-maker) when a medication error has occurred that affected or had potential to affect their care. In Canada, disclosure is required under provincial health legislation (e.g., Ontario's Quality of Care Information Protection Act, QCIPA) and is mandated by professional nursing regulatory bodies (CNO, CRNBC) and hospital policy. Why it matters: Failure to disclose violates patient autonomy, trust, and the therapeutic relationship. It also exposes the nurse and institution to significant legal and regulatory consequences — including loss of licensure. However, premature assumption of blame during disclosure, without systemic review, can undermine just culture principles and root cause analysis. **Top...
