Comparison of Central Line Care Practice of Staff Nurses before and after Implementation of Guidelines

Abstract

Central line associated blood stream infections in children can be prevented when evidence based guidelines are followed by the nurses for post insertion care and maintenance of central venous catheters. This study aimed to compare the central line care practices of staff nurses before and after implementing the guidelines in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). This experimental quantitative study was done at 12 bedded PICU, St John's Hospital over a period of 3 months from October 2016-December 2016. A purposive sample consisting of 15 staff nurses who are working in PICU were selected for this one group pre-test post-test designed study. Central line care practices of staff nurses were observed twice using an observational checklist consisting of 50 items by the researcher before and after implementing the guidelines. The practices were analyzed and scored using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed that the mean post-test score was higher than the mean pre-test score in the study group. There was a significant association of the pre-test practice score with years of experience in PICU. The central line care practice guideline can be used as an effective tool for the maintenance of central venous catheters of children.