Using change management to implement barcode medicines administration technology
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Using change management to implement barcode medicines administration technology

James Bird Chief Nurse Information Officer, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, St Mary’s Hospital, London, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To understand the role of patient identification in medicines administration

  • To familiarise yourself with the benefits of barcode technology

  • To increase your knowledge of the role of change management

Confirming the patient’s identity is one of the most important elements in medicines administration, with research showing that medication errors are one of the most common sources of harm caused to patients. This article discusses the implementation of a barcode medicines administration system using two change management models. A complex project such as the implementation of barcode medicines administration technology, requires staff engagement at all levels. The adoption rates of the new workflow patterns in this project showed the benefits of using various change management models during different phases of a project. The project also demonstrated how nurse leaders must use a range of resources to effectively implement a new project.

Nursing Management. doi: 10.7748/nm.2020.e1945

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

james.bird@nhs.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

Bird J (2020) Using change management to implement barcode medicines administration technology. Nursing Management. doi: 10.7748/nm.2020.e1945

Published online: 11 August 2020

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