Effectiveness of a structured educational program on knowledge about medication errors and stress of conscience among psychiatric nurses
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Suez Canal University
- 2Community and Mental Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Zarqa University
- 3Obstetrics and Gynecological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Al-Ahliyya Amman University
- 4Department of Community, Psychiatric, and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Qassim University
- 5Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Assiut University
- 6Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Menoufia University
- 7Faculty of Allied Medical Science Physical Therapy, Zarqa University
Abstract
Background Medication errors are a persistent threat to patient safety in psychiatric settings, where complex pharmacotherapy and ethical conscience heighten nurses’ stress of conscience. Aim This study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured educational program on knowledge about medication errors and stress of conscience among psychiatric nurses. Methods A one-group pre–post quasi-experimental design was implemented with 89 nurses from Assiut University Psychiatric Hospital and at Assiut Mental Health Hospital (Ministry of Health hospital), Egypt. The four-week program integrated educational sessions, reflective discussion, and scenario-based learning. Data were collected using validated medication-error and stress-of-conscience questionnaires. Results Knowledge about medication errors improved significantly following the structured educational program, with mean scores increasing from 63.20 ± 22.27 pre-intervention to 72.19 ± 18.92 post-intervention (t = 3.01, p < .001, d = 0.71). Reported medication errors declined moderately after the program (t = 2.63, p = .01, d = 0.54). Stress-of-conscience scores decreased slightly from 37.0 ± 6.5 to 36.0 ± 6.2, although the difference was not statistically significant (t = 1.24, p = .22). A weak but statistically significant negative correlation was found between stress of conscience and medication errors (r = − .25, p = .03). Conclusion The structured educational program was associated with improved knowledge about medication errors and reduced reported medication errors among psychiatric nurses. Although stress-of-conscience scores decreased slightly following the educational program, the difference was not statistically significant.
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BibTeX
@article{saraya2026effectiveness,
title = {{Effectiveness of a structured educational program on knowledge about medication errors and stress of conscience among psychiatric nurses}},
author = {Ola Ali Abd El-Fatah Ali Saraya and Eman Eman Kamel Hossny and Heba M. Mohamed and Azza Elsayed Abdelfatah Arafat and Azza Mohamed Abd El-Aziz Abuzaid and Rasha Kamal Mohamed Sweelam and Alyaa salah Mahmoud abdelazeim zaher},
journal = {BMC Nursing},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s12912-026-05444-8},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05444-8},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effectiveness of a structured educational program on knowledge about medication errors and stress of conscience among psychiatric nurses
AU - Ola Ali Abd El-Fatah Ali Saraya
AU - Eman Eman Kamel Hossny
AU - Heba M. Mohamed
AU - Azza Elsayed Abdelfatah Arafat
AU - Azza Mohamed Abd El-Aziz Abuzaid
AU - Rasha Kamal Mohamed Sweelam
AU - Alyaa salah Mahmoud abdelazeim zaher
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - BMC Nursing
DO - 10.1186/s12912-026-05444-8
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05444-8
AB - Background Medication errors are a persistent threat to patient safety in psychiatric settings, where complex pharmacotherapy and ethical conscience heighten nurses’ stress of conscience. Aim This study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured educational program on knowledge about medication errors and stress of conscience among psychiatric nurses. Methods A one-group pre–post quasi-experimental design was implemented with 89 nurses from Assiut University Psychiatric Hospital and at Assiut Mental Health Hospital (Ministry of Health hospital), Egypt. The four-week program integrated educational sessions, reflective discussion, and scenario-based learning. Data were collected using validated medication-error and stress-of-conscience questionnaires. Results Knowledge about medication errors improved significantly following the structured educational program, with mean scores increasing from 63.20 ± 22.27 pre-intervention to 72.19 ± 18.92 post-intervention (t = 3.01, p < .001, d = 0.71). Reported medication errors declined moderately after the program (t = 2.63, p = .01, d = 0.54). Stress-of-conscience scores decreased slightly from 37.0 ± 6.5 to 36.0 ± 6.2, although the difference was not statistically significant (t = 1.24, p = .22). A weak but statistically significant negative correlation was found between stress of conscience and medication errors (r = − .25, p = .03). Conclusion The structured educational program was associated with improved knowledge about medication errors and reduced reported medication errors among psychiatric nurses. Although stress-of-conscience scores decreased slightly following the educational program, the difference was not statistically significant.
SN - 1472-6955
ER -