Prevention of Medical Errors for Florida Nurse Practitioners

Medical errors remain a leading concern in healthcare delivery, with implications for patient safety, clinical outcomes, and professional accountability. Prevention of Medical Errors for Florida Nurse Practitioners is specifically designed to meet the Florida Board of Nursing’s licensure renewal requirement while equipping advanced practice providers with evidence-based strategies to reduce preventable harm.

This course offers a focused review of the most common sources of medical errors in clinical practice such as communication breakdowns, medication discrepancies, and diagnostic inaccuracies and explores practical methods to mitigate them. Emphasis is placed on systems-based solutions, documentation practices, and interdisciplinary collaboration to foster a culture of safety.

Topics covered include:

• Overview of Medical Errors: Definitions, classifications, and root causes of adverse events in outpatient and inpatient settings.
• Florida-Specific Reporting Requirements: Mandatory protocols for reporting and managing sentinel events and adverse incidents.
• High-Risk Situations: Identification of vulnerable points in clinical workflows including medication administration, handoffs, and transitions of care.
• Human Factors and System Failures: Understanding how cognitive overload, fatigue, and systemic inefficiencies contribute to clinical errors.
• Communication Strategies: SBAR, closed-loop communication, and other tools to enhance interdisciplinary teamwork and reduce miscommunication.
• Diagnostic Error and Delay: Reducing missed or delayed diagnoses through clinical decision support and effective documentation.
• Error Disclosure and Ethical Considerations: Best practices for disclosing errors to patients and families, maintaining transparency, and managing liability.
• Case-Based Learning: Real-world scenarios to help practitioners recognize risks and apply error-prevention techniques in daily practice.

Completion Requirements:

To receive full CE credit, participants must:

• Register for the course.
• Complete all course modules and assigned readings.
• Pass the post-test with a score of 70% or higher.
• Submit course evaluations for each module.

Course materials may include case scenarios, state-specific policy references, and downloadable clinical tools for use in practice.

Important Disclosures:

• Conflict of Interest: Faculty and planners report no relevant financial relationships.
• Commercial Support: This activity received no external commercial funding or sponsorship.
• Non-Endorsement: Accreditation does not imply endorsement of any commercial products or companies.
• Off-Label Product Use: Any mention of off-label drug use is consistent with current clinical guidelines and evidence-based practice.