1061: ILLUMINATED INFUSION LINE AND IMPACT ON PERCEIVED NURSE WORKLOAD AND IMPRESSIONS ON MEDICAL ERRORS

Abstract

Introduction: ICUs require simultaneously infused medications, creating entangled tubing. Nurses must manually trace tubing from pump to patient, wasting time, and risking error. Lightengale developed tubing with light-emitting fiber-optics to reducing nurse workload and fatigue. Our aim was to understand nurse perceptions of workload and medical errors, and to measure nursing workload in a simulated environment comparing Lightengale to standard tubing. Methods: Registered nurses were recruited. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative analysis by two independent researchers. Analytic coding identified common themes. Nurses were placed in a simulated critical care scenario to complete 3 tasks. Nurses were randomized to start in either simulation. Simulations were recorded to measure time-in-motion, cognitive work was measured by National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and followed by a debrief session. Results: There were 18 nurses enrolled, all trained in pediatric critical care. Thematic analysis revealed nurses felt line tracing was faster, and improved nursing confidence and could reduce error. NASA-TLX analysis showed that nurses experienced less frustration using Lightengale despite it being a novel device (153 vs 94, p=0.016). Lightengale was not perceived to be more difficult in mental, physical, time, or effort demands on nursing tasks (p>0.05). Conclusions: Lightengale is a novel device that illuminates IV tubing from pump to patient. Thematic analysis revealed that nurses found the device to be useful with the potential benefit of reducing errors and improved their confidence. Lightengale use resulted in less frustration and with similar difficulty as standard tubing to use. Future studies will be focused on device refinement and the execution of a clinical study to demonstrate the ability of the Lightengale IVT to reduce errors associated with IVT tracing in an ICU environment.