Proposed DNP

Maryville University Catherine McAuley School of Nursing DNP Program Scholarly Project Planning Form 704 – (Questions 1-6) 1 Student’s Name & Email: 2 This planning sheet must be reviewed and approved by the DNP council. Students cannot collect any data at the practicum site until their Project Planning Sheet has been approved, and they have received permission(s) from Maryville’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) if IRB is needed. Collection of data without IRB approval may result in dismissal from the program. Please check this box acknowledging your review and acceptance of this policy. FORMCHECKBOX 3 Proposed Scholarly Project Title: Improving medication safety in the 50 and older adults: Reducing adverse events through evidence-based strategies. 4 Briefly describe the practice problem you plan to focus on in your scholarly project and its importance. This problem may focus on nursing practice, including the impact of organizational policy(ies) and procedure(s), and patient outcomes, or a combination of these. Practice Problem Improving medication safety, specifically in older individuals, is significant as they are at a higher risk of getting medication-related health complications. It is analyzed that older individuals suffer from several chronic complications that require multiple medications, leading old individuals to multiple drug regimens or polypharmacy (Hagiwara et al., 2024). Polypharmacy is a significant concern, specifically in older individuals, because older individuals use multiple drug regimens that not only intensify the risk of adverse effects but also elevate the risk of drug interactions (Ye et al., 2022). It is the common cause of hospitalizations and mortality in such individuals that reduces the quality of life. Age-related physiological changes are also a main concern as they alter the excretion and metabolism of drugs, leading to several complications for older individuals. Maher et al. (2020) reveal that these physiological changes alter the disposition of drugs. Similarly, it is challenging to manage medication management in older individuals because of comorbidities such as lessened hepatic and renal function and sensory impairment. These challenges put older individuals at high risk of adverse events. The prevalence of medication safety issues arises particularly during hospital admission and discharge; such problems occur due to poor medical professional and patient communication; as a result, patients take the wrong medication, leading to severe health issues (Alqenae et al., 2020). One reason behind such medication safety issues is improper medication reconciliation. The World Health Organization, in its initiative "Medication without Harm, particularly highlights the importance of addressing medication-related problems with the help of safety medication practices. Eshetie et al. (2021) reveal that WHO, in its initiative, particularly targeted three areas: the first is a high-risk situation, the second is polypharmacy, and the third is transitions of care. These initiatives aim to increase patient outcomes and lessen healthcare expenses. Unsafe medication practices affect both the patients and the healthcare system. It is demonstrated that those patients who face prolonged hospital stays suffer from severe complications; as a result, the quality of life of the patients is compromised (Ottosen et al., 2021). So, medical providers need to minimize the rates of hospital stays with the help of proper discharge planning. The second reason is that different organizations do not have the proper policies and guidelines to guarantee medication safety. Yet, some organizations cannot access appropriate guidelines that medical professionals use to prescribe and monitor patients. There is a need to address these issues with the help of evidence-based practices because they not only help decrease medication use but also elevate patient outcome rates. This paper aims to address the problem of unsafe medication and reinforce medication safety, particularly in older individuals, with the help of evidence-based interventions. Medication reconciliation and clinical decision-support methods are effective and helpful in improving and decreasing the rates of unsafe medication practices, as they provide alerts to medical professionals that help detect drug errors and prevent patients from severe health problems (Shahmoradi et al., 2021). Medication reconciliation intervention is effective in determining safety issues and addressing these issues, specifically inappropriate prescribing. Clinical decision support tools are effective because they help healthcare providers deliver alerts related to medication mishandling, specifically prescribing errors, which deteriorate medication error rates. The second intervention that would help in higher medication safety, particularly in older adults, is to upgrade patients' education related to medication because when individuals are aware of their medication, they take medication on time and avoid missing doses because they know that avoiding or missing dose led them serious health complication (Xu et al., 2024). When the providers provide education and proper instruction to patients, the errors related to medication can be minimized. On the other hand, advanced multidisciplinary collaboration can also effectively heighten medication safety practices. Addressing medication safety, particularly in older individuals aged 50, is significant because it is a global issue; when the age or life expectancy increases, ultimately, the risk of medication safety is also raised because of the increasing rate of polypharmacy in older adults (Eshetie et al., 2021). There is a need for healthcare providers to pay attention to critical problems with medication safety because it would help reinforce patient outcomes and promote the lives of individuals, specifically older individuals. This scholarly project aims to integrate evidence-based practices that elevate medication safety rates, particularly in older individuals aged 50, through the help of incorporating evidence-based practices. 5: Briefly describe the specific practice change(s) that is being proposed by the project. Why is this change(s) important? What literature supports this change? Proposed Changes And Their Importance With The Help Of Literature Support This scholarly project aims to provide several evidence-based practices in addressing the problem of medication safety, particularly in older individuals aged 50. These recommendations aim to advance patient safety and optimize drug errors and patient outcomes. The following interventions suggested in this project include medication reconciliation, the second intervention is implementation of clinical decision tools, the third is patient education, and fourth is interdisciplinary collaboration. Medication Reviews And Reconciliation The process, specifically medication reconciliation, plays a significant in advancing patient outcomes because it is effective in avoiding medication mismanagement, such as dosing errors, and ensuring medication accuracy and safety. Integrate medication reconciliation change is significant because it raises not only patient outcomes levels but also healthcare costs because it helps in avoiding omissions and dosing errors led to secure patient safety (Esetie et al., 2020). According to research analysis, medication reconciliation improves medication safety, specifically during the transition of care, which helps healthcare providers ensure that the patient receives the correct medication; ultimately, medication safety is boosted. However, research has described that the medication reconciliation method improved medication, as it helped medical providers provide complete and accurate medication information transfer to patients (Chiewchantanakit et al., 2020). Clinical Decision Support Tools Another effective intervention in advancing patient safety is clinical decision support tools. When implemented, clinical decision support tools, particularly with electronic health records, offer alerts to healthcare providers, leading to heightened medication safety levels (Shahmoradi et al., 2021). Implementing clinical decision support tools in healthcare settings is essential in reducing dosage errors because of the automatic dose calculation system; healthcare providers use an automatic dose calculation system that saves time and avoids human error. These tools effectively decrease the chances of prescription errors because they offer guidance to medical providers related to prescribing decisions; as a result, medication safety is elevated. According to research analysis, these tools not only reduced the rates of errors related to drugs but also strengthened patient outcomes (Moghadam et al., 2021). On the other hand, another study reveals that clinical decision support tools subside drug mishandling errors, particularly unintentional prescription errors, as clinical decision support tools guide healthcare professionals in generating immediate alerts; hence, medical providers detect prescription errors, particularly wrong dosage (Hashemi et al., 2022). Patient Education The next and most important intervention that is effective in improving the medication is patient education, which is effective in minimizing medication mismanagement and lowering the rates of adverse events. Patient education is essential, specifically in enhancing patient safety and outcomes; when the patients are aware and have education about the medications, when they see prescriptions, and if there is an error in this prescription due to knowledge, they easily determine incorrect drugs or other dosage errors (Bhattad & Pacifico, 2022). For instance, if patients know the antibiotic course, they do not use antibiotics without the prescription...