Ahmad Fahmi Haimour*, Maria Cristina Dy Leonardo, Dhanya Bhasker, Kathlyn Rivero, Joana Rose Alvarado, Fatin Abusyriah, Jessy Joseph, Maria Cecilia Cacho and Wafa Sameeh Alrawashdeh
Background: Infiltration and extravasation are the 2 most common complications of intravenous therapy, particularly in critically ill neonates, because of their small veins, fragile skin, and low birth weight, with 8 peripheral IV incidences occurring before this study. This study aimed to determine the effect of using an evidence-based nursing education program on Peripheral IV (PIV) infiltration and extravasation rates among critically ill neonates and the satisfaction, knowledge, and skill levels of nurses in the prevention of PIV infiltration and extravasation.
Methods: This quasi-experimental design study was conducted on staff nurses working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The levels of knowledge of 117 staff nurses were assessed. Furthermore, the satisfaction and skill level in preventing PIV infiltration and extravasation were also determined. Consequently, the PIV rates of infiltration and extravasation were compared before and after the implementation of the education program to measure its effectiveness.
Results: The results showed no significant differences (p=0.25) in peripheral IV rates before and after education intervention, although the incidences were reduced from 8 to 4. However, after conducting the educational program, all nurses (100%) showed a significant increase in knowledge scores (M=19.0, SD=1.1) (p<0.001). Performance classifications revealed that 16 (17.6%) nurses had average skills and 75 (82.4%) had good skills. The staff satisfaction rates for the overall quality of the evidence-based nursing education program were excellent, very good, and good in 56.4%, 35.9%, and 7.7% of cases, respectively.
Conclusion: PIV infiltration and extravasation can be prevented and treated, and nurses play a vital role in the care and management of intravenous accesses, especially in critically ill neonates. The implementation of evidence-based nurse education guidelines on PIV infiltration and extravasation, such as the S.T.I.C.K Bundle, can improve the knowledge and skills of nurses in ensuring that intravenous therapy remains safe and critically ill neonates are free from infiltration and extravasation.
Published Date: 2024-03-04; Received Date: 2024-02-01
