THE INTENTION TO REPORT MEDICATION ERROR

The aim of this study is to use the Azjen & Madden Theory of Planned Behavior to identify the factors influencing the intention or non-intention of community nurses to report adverse incidents. A convenience sample of community nurses completed a questionnaire. The findings fully or partially confirmed the study's three hypotheses. The factors found to exert most influence on the decision to report adverse incidents or not were the nurse's Perceived Behavioral Control and her perception of her professional and social expectations on this issue. The authors recommend that nursing staff be made aware that reporting error will make them better nurses; that staff who do report errors be given encouragement and support, not punishment; that error-reporting not be regarded as 'informing' or as evidence of personal failure and that nurses need an organizational culture and collegiate environment which supports reporting.