Educational intervention to improve management of totally implanted vascular access device

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of an educational intervention for nurses to increase knowledge and practical skills of management of totally implanted vascular access devices. Methods: A quasi-experimental study conducted in a teaching hospital. The intervention included exposure to a manual of procedures followed by a theoretical-practical training seven days later. Eighty-one nurses were evaluated at baseline, after self-exposure to the manual, and after receiving the theoretical-practical training. Participants were evaluated on their knowledge and practical skills of totally implanted vascular access device management. Descriptive statistics were performed for all variables. Paired t test was used to examine whether the mean score changed from the baseline to first and second assessments of knowledge, access, de-access and maintenance of catheter. Significance level was set to 0.05. Results: Mean increases in scores after nurses were exposed to the manual were: 18.2 points for knowledge, 16.5 points for access technique, 15.5 for de-access technique, and 24.2 for catheter maintenance technique. After the theoretical-practical training, we observed a mean increase of 4.2 points for access, 3.9 for deaccess and 4.2 for catheter maintenance. Conclusion: The educational intervention for nurses increased mean scores of knowledge and practical skills. At the end of the intervention, 75% of the nurses reached at least 33 points out of 38 for knowledge, and 77%, 77%, and 78% had perfect scores for access, de-access, and maintenance, respectively. The educational intervention was effective in improving knowledge and practical skills for management of totally implanted vascular access devices.