Effectiveness of Educational Intervention on Safe Medication Administration Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Among Nursing Interns at Shahida Islam Teaching Hospital, Lodhran

Abstract

Background: Safe medication administration is a fundamental component of nursing practice and a major determinant of patient safety. Nursing interns are particularly vulnerable to medication-related errors because of limited clinical experience, inconsistent procedural reinforcement, and transitional gaps between theoretical learning and bedside application. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured educational intervention on knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding safe medication administration among nursing interns at Shahida Islam Teaching Hospital, Lodhran. Methods: A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test study was conducted among 34 nursing interns. Participants received a 45-minute structured educational session incorporating lecture, demonstration, and interactive discussion on the Five Rights of medication administration, patient identification, medication expiry, documentation, and error prevention. Data were collected before the intervention and one week afterward using a structured questionnaire covering knowledge, attitude, and practice domains. Data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-tests, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Post-intervention scores improved across all domains. Mean knowledge score increased from 0.52±0.14 to 0.80±0.10, attitude from 4.02±0.09 to 4.54±0.12, and practice from 4.18±0.08 to 4.66±0.10. Significant improvements were observed in knowledge of the Five Rights (p=0.002), patient identification (p=0.013), expiry checking (p=0.004) confidence in medication administration (p=0.002), patient verification (p=0.005), correct administration procedures (p=0.010), and documentation (p=0.002). Error reporting and some near-miss-related outcomes improved but did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Structured educational intervention significantly improved nursing interns’ medication-safety knowledge, attitudes, and selected practice behaviors. Integration of recurring competency-based training into internship programs may strengthen clinical performance and promote safer medication administration.