Abstract
The importance of nurses being able to carry out medication work uninterrupted is increasingly identified and emphasized. However, the actual conditions during medication work of nurses are less known. This paper sheds light on what happens during medication work of nurses in acute care. An observational study was carried out in four inpatient university hospital units. Structured quantifiable measures were collected on handheld computers as well as qualitative field notes recorded on digital recorders. Data were gathered during 8 whole shifts. Participants used 17% of their working time for medication related work. On average their work during that time was disrupted 11.4 times per shift. The most frequent influencing factor the nurses encountered was non-self initiated communication by a coworker during medication preparation. Nurses spend a substantial part of their working time on medication preparation and administration; work which requires their full attention. However, their attention is frequently shifted between work activities and factors influencing their work, increasing the risk of medication errors. Findings indicate an urgent need to minimize the risks and the financial costs due to disruptions caused by untimely communication, lack of information and material resources in place during medication related work of nurses in acute care.