Medication Competence: A Concept Analysis

Abstract

Concept analysis means clarifying the meaning of concepts for diverse reasons. Concepts are the fundamental building blocks of theory construction. Hence, it is crucial to have solid and reliable notions. Therefore, concept analysis is a good starting point for learning how to think logically in relation to terms, definitions, and uses in theory development. Hence, the purpose of the paper is to perform a detailed concept analysis on medication competence in the context of nursing. Also, to develop a precise description of the concept for use in research and to enhance its usage and communication in healthcare. For this paper, the Walker and Avant concept analysis approach was used to create a thorough knowledge of the phenomenon of nurse medication competency. The literature review was performed from different electronic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central and PakMediNet. For the literature search, keywords were used: medication competence, medication management, medication skills, medication safety, nurses, and student nurses. Results: defining attributes were found: knowledge, skills, and attitude. Antecedents for medication competence are proper training, work experience, motivation, critical thinking, pharmacovigilant, proper dose formulation, and self-confidence. Consequences for medication competence were highlighted as the accuracy of medication calculation skills, prevention of medication errors, and improved patient outcomes by maintaining patient safety practices. Additionally, nurses can use medication competence to build interprofessional collaboration, communication, leadership, and delegation skills. Additionally, it is believed that this analysis would provide insight to the nurses and other healthcare personnel as a strong foundation for clinical practice research, and theory development.