The most common cause of error by nurses (including oncology nurses) is that of dispensing medication; failure to give the prescribed drug, administration of the wrong drug, or a dosing mistake. In the late 1990s, the Institute of Medicine issued a study that claimed 98,000 hospital deaths annually were caused by medication errors; a recent follow-up showed that not much has changed. Certainty in administering medications is particularly important for oncology nurses who deal with chemotherapy drugs that have a high mortality and mobidity rate if wrong dose or drug is given. Incomplete or absent documentation in the record is another possible source of negligence that may lead to patient injury. Failure to educate or patient or monitor the patient in restraints are both deviations from the standard of care but are less common.
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