Physicians' and Nurses' Attitudes and Actions Regarding Perioperative Medication Management

Purpose: To investigate physicians' and nurses' attitudes and actions related to the prescription and administration of perioperative antibiotics and opioids during a 2-week period.

Design: A quantitative descriptive and analytical research design performed at a Danish University Hospital.

Methods: An email survey using an 18-item questionnaire was sent to 163 nurses and physicians involved in the perioperative period.

Findings: Of 163 participants, 114 (69.9%) returned the questionnaire. Between 12% and 29% of the respondents reported that they did not correctly manage the medication, although they thought it to be important. Between 41% and 68% of the respondents experienced incorrect medication management with significant differences among professions and specialties.

Conclusions: The study confirms a knowing-doing gap in medication management in perioperative settings, highlighting the need to address this issue, to ensure that physicians and nurses act in accordance with their beliefs and consider the importance of medication safety in interdisciplinary work across specialties.