Essential Medication Safety and Administration Skills

overview

Medication errors are a major cause of patient harm in healthcare. Nurses play a critical role in ensuring safe medication practices, accurate dosage calculations, proper administration, and patient education, all within legal and ethical frameworks. This course equips participants with practical skills, professional knowledge, and safety-focused competencies to prevent medication errors, manage high-risk medications, and support safe, compassionate, and patient-centred care in clinical and community settings.

key facts

Duration

15 hours (face-to-face / online delivery)

Delivery Methods:

Lectures, practical demonstrations, simulation exercises, role plays, quizzes, and group discussions

Programme Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the course are to:

  • Equip participants with knowledge of safe medication practices in clinical and community settings, including legal and ethical responsibilities.
  • Develop competencies in medication administration, drug calculation, documentation, and patient monitoring.
  • Enhance the ability to prevent, identify, and manage medication errors, including those involving high-risk medications.
  • Empower nurses with empathy to allow for compassionate care, and provide tools for effective, patient-centered communication when dealing with patients by discussing the pathophysiology of disease.
  • Promote professional accountability and adherence to safety standards that protect both patients and healthcare personnel.

 

Upon successful completion, participants will be able to:

  • Apply the medication process including valid prescription, transcription, administration, storage, documentation and legal compliance.
  • Demonstrate correct administration techniques for oral, topical, inhalation, and injectable medications.
  • Accurately perform basic drug calculations.
  • Apply the “10 Rights” of medication administration.
  • Recognize, prevent, and report medication errors according to legal and professional guidelines.
  • Counsel patients and caregivers on safe medication use, adherence, and storage, respecting legal and ethical responsibilities.

target audience

  • Registered Nurses, Nursing Officers, Charge Nurses and Senior Nursing Officers with clinical experience in patient care.
  • Minimum academic requirement: Nursing Diploma/Certificate in Nursing (or equivalent) with valid nursing registration.

Delivery and Hours Interpretation

The course will be delivered using a blended approach (face-to-face and online), with interactive and practical methods including:

  • Lectures
  • Practical demonstrations
  • Simulation exercises
  • Role plays
  • Quizzes
  • Group discussions

Course Modules

Introduction to Medication Safety

Description:

Learners will be introduced to the fundamental principles of medication safety in healthcare, with an emphasis on preventing medication errors, understanding professional accountability, and applying safe practices in both clinical and community settings.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Describe the importance of medication safety in nursing practice.
  • Identify common causes and consequences of medication errors.

Subtopics:

  • Overview of medication safety in healthcare
  • Common causes and consequences of medication errors
  • Professional accountability and reporting

Description:

This module aims to equip learners with an understanding of the complete medication process, from prescription to administration, including proper documentation and storage, while highlighting the legal and ethical principles that guide safe nursing practice.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Apply the medication process safely, including prescription, transcription, administration, and storage.
  • Demonstrate understanding of legal and ethical principles in medication administration.

Subtopics:

  • Medication process: prescription, transcription, administration, documentation
  • Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR)
  • Legal responsibilities and ethical principles in medication administration
Module 3: Drug Classification, Mechanism of Action & Adverse Reactions

Description:

Learners will explore common drug classifications, mechanisms of action, contraindications, precautions, and adverse drug reactions, with links to disease pathophysiology to support safe, rational, and empathetic patient care.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify common drug classes, their clinical indications, and mechanisms of action.
  • Recognize contraindications and common adverse drug reactions.
  • Relate drug action to disease pathophysiology to enhance empathetic care.

Subtopics:

  • Common drug classes and therapeutic indications
  • Mechanisms of action and pharmacological effects
  • Contraindications, precautions, and adverse drug reactions
Module 4: Drug Calculation and Administration Techniques

Description:

This module aims to develop learners’ competence in accurate drug calculations and safe medication administration techniques, emphasizing precision, the application of the “10 Rights” of medication administration, and safe handling practices.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Accurately calculate medication doses.
  • Apply safe administration techniques.

 

Subtopics:

  • Dosage calculations
  • Principles of the “10 Rights” of medication administration
  • Safe handling of medications and measurement accuracy
Module 5: Routes of Administration and Special Considerations

Description:

Learners will develop knowledge and skills related to various routes of medication administration and will apply safety considerations when administering medications to special populations, including pediatric, elderly, and high-risk patients.

 

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Demonstrate correct medication administration techniques.
  • Apply safety considerations for special populations.

Subtopics:

  • Overview routes of drug administrations: oral, topical, inhalation, injectable
  • Adjustments for special populations: pediatric, elderly, high-risk patients
  • Safety considerations for each route
Module 6: Prevention and Management of Medication Errors

Description:

This module aims to enable learners to identify, prevent, and manage medication errors, with particular focus on high-risk medications, adherence to best practices, and compliance with legal and professional standards.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify potential error prone situations.
  • Apply strategies to prevent errors, including verification, documentation, and patient identification.
  • Demonstrate procedures for reporting and managing errors in compliance with legal standards.

Subtopics:

  • High-risk medications    (HRMs):           anticoagulants,          insulin, opioids,           chemotherapy, concentrated electrolytes
  • Error prevention strategies and best practices
  • Reporting, documentation, and legal compliance

Description:

Learners will develop patient-centered communication and counselling skills to support safe medication use, improve adherence, and understand their legal responsibilities within professional healthcare practice.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Conduct patient and caregiver counselling on correct medication use, adherence, and storage.
  • Apply effective communication techniques to promote compliance and legal accountability.

Subtopics:

  • Patient education and counselling
  • Medication adherence and storage
  • Goals and benefits of Medication Therapy Management (MTM)
Additional Information
SN Module Name Theory (Hours) Trainer/s
1 Introduction to Medication Safety 2 Halkhoree Caramraz / Reesaul Narendredeo / Prayag James Owen Edmond / Chutoo Cassam / Seegolam Chandrika / Hiteicha Jeebasseea Singh / Bameela Lekha – Taukoordass / Veerjayantee Chikhooree / Poorun Phulswaroop Kant Kishore Singh / Russul-Saib Mohammad Saleem
2 Medication Process, Legal & Ethical Considerations 2 Halkhoree Caramraz / Reesaul Narendredeo / Prayag James Owen Edmond / Chutoo Cassam / Seegolam Chandrika / Hiteicha Jeebasseea Singh / Bameela Lekha – Taukoordass / Veerjayantee Chikhooree / Poorun Phulswaroop Kant Kishore Singh / Russul-Saib Mohammad Saleem
3 Drug Classification, Mechanism of Action & Adverse Reactions 2 Halkhoree Caramraz / Reesaul Narendredeo / Prayag James Owen Edmond / Chutoo Cassam / Seegolam Chandrika / Hiteicha Jeebasseea Singh / Bameela Lekha – Taukoordass / Veerjayantee Chikhooree / Poorun Phulswaroop Kant Kishore Singh / Russul-Saib Mohammad Saleem
4 Drug Calculation and Administration Techniques 3 Halkhoree Caramraz / Reesaul Narendredeo / Prayag James Owen Edmond / Chutoo Cassam / Seegolam Chandrika / Hiteicha Jeebasseea Singh / Bameela Lekha – Taukoordass / Veerjayantee Chikhooree / Poorun Phulswaroop Kant Kishore Singh / Russul-Saib Mohammad Saleem
5 Routes of Administration and Special Considerations 2 Halkhoree Caramraz / Reesaul Narendredeo / Prayag James Owen Edmond / Chutoo Cassam / Seegolam Chandrika / Hiteicha Jeebasseea Singh / Bameela Lekha – Taukoordass / Veerjayantee Chikhooree / Poorun Phulswaroop Kant Kishore Singh / Russul-Saib Mohammad Saleem
6 Prevention and Management of Medication Errors 2 Halkhoree Caramraz / Reesaul Narendredeo / Prayag James Owen Edmond / Chutoo Cassam / Seegolam Chandrika / Hiteicha Jeebasseea Singh / Bameela Lekha – Taukoordass / Veerjayantee Chikhooree / Poorun Phulswaroop Kant Kishore Singh / Russul-Saib Mohammad Saleem
7 Patient Counselling, Education & Legal Responsibilities 2 Halkhoree Caramraz / Reesaul Narendredeo / Prayag James Owen Edmond / Chutoo Cassam / Seegolam Chandrika / Hiteicha Jeebasseea Singh / Bameela Lekha – Taukoordass / Veerjayantee Chikhooree / Poorun Phulswaroop Kant Kishore Singh / Russul-Saib Mohammad Saleem
Please note that the trainers allocated to the various modules will form part of pool of trainers.