Medication competence: a concept analysis

Objective: This paper aims to provide a thorough concept analysis of medication competence, within the context of nursing education. Also, to establish a clear definition of the concept for research purposes, and to improve the communication and use of the concept in healthcare practice.

Design & methods: The Walker and Avant concept analysis was utilized as a framework to develop a comprehensive understanding of the phenomena of medication competence in nursing education.

Data sources: A review of literature on medication competence was conducted using the electronic databases of EBSCOhost, CINAHL Complete, Web of Science, Ovid full text, ERIC, ScienceDirect, International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INASCL), PubMed, Google Scholar, and PsychLit. Search terms included medication competence, medication safety, medication management, medication skills, healthcare, nursing, and nursing students.

Results: The literature search resulted in 39 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Three defining attributes were identified: pharmacovigilant, effective skills competence, and interprofessionality. Antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of the concept medication competence were also highlighted.

Conclusions: Insight gleaned from this concept analysis will enhance the ability of nurse educators to effectively educate and assess medication competence among nursing students. By defining medication competence it validates the importance of further quantitative and qualitative research exploration of medication competence among nursing students and other healthcare specialties. Thus, this concept analysis establishes the springboard for innovative educational interventions, as well as future research in nursing education.