Authors (including presenting author) :
LAM KY(1), CHUNG SC(1), LEUNG SS(1), SUEN D(1), WONG SP(1), LEUNG HY(1) LI KY(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Community Nursing Service, Princess Margaret Hospital
Keyword 1: :
medication management
Keyword 2: :
community setting
Keyword 3: :
injectable therapies
Keyword 4: :
community‑dwelling patients
Keyword 6: :
continuous quality improvement
Introduction :
Medication safety is a core component of community nursing care. PMH community nurse (CN) conducts medication reconciliation and comprehensive assessments of medication management and compliance for all community‑dwelling patients during outreach services. Annually, over 14,000 outreach visits – accounting for 27% of total visits – are related to medication management. As medication regimens change frequently and as demand increases for medication support and injectable therapies, including high-risk medications such as insulin, ensuring safe practice is critical. In response to updated corporate nursing standards/guidelines and staff turnover within the PMH community nursing service (CNS), staff training materials and competency assessments were revised for continuous quality improvement (CQI) and strengthen medication safety in the community setting.
Objectives :
(1)To enhance and ensure staff compliance with safe medication administration practices in community settings.
(2)To ensure oral medications, and insulin are accurately administered and/or prepared to patient(s).
Methodology :
Existing practices related to medication preparation and administration for community-dwelling patients were thoroughly reviewed and standardized in accordance with the Hospital Authority Basic Nursing Standards for Patient Care Medication Administration and the PMH CNS training materials on Medication safety for oral medication administration/preparation in community setting. The competency assessment checklist for Administration of Oral Medication for CNs was revised to incorporate injectable therapies, specifically insulin administration. In addition, the Nursing Preceptorship Program for newly joined CNs will be reviewed and updated accordingly. An in-service training session would be conducted for all PMH CNs as a refresher. Competence assessment would subsequently be conducted for all nursing staff and are tentatively scheduled for completion by the second quarter of 2026 to evaluate the effectiveness of the CQI initiative.
Result & Outcome :
Results: Evaluation would include the in-service training attendance and the staff competence scores on Administration of Medication. The results would pinpoint weaknesses to guide targeted empowerment initiatives. Outcome: The implementation of a structured training program refreshed staff with up-to-date knowledge in accordance with current nursing standards/guidelines for medication preparation and administration for community-dwelling patients during outreach services. The revised competency assessment on Administration of Medication and the Nursing Preceptorship Program provided a standardized and current framework for supervisors and frontline CNs including the newly joined staff, to ensure the ongoing delivery of safe and effective medication management in community settings.
