[Peripheral venipuncture: evaluating the performance of nursing professionals]

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Procedures

Background:

• Peripheral venipuncture is a common invasive procedure.
• Ensuring correct technique is crucial to prevent complications.
• Variations in performance among nursing staff may exist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate nursing professionals' performance during peripheral venipuncture.
• To identify risk factors associated with venipuncture complications.
• To compare performance across different nursing professional categories.

Main Methods:

• Inferential comparative study design.
• Structured observation using a 25-item checklist.
• Kruskal-Wallis and multiple comparison tests for statistical analysis.
• Sample of 55 nursing professionals observed performing the procedure thrice.

Main Results:

• Overall average correct performance was 78%.
• Nurses (82%), nursing technicians (80%), and nursing auxiliaries (77%) showed slight variations.
• Ten procedure items had significant errors, with 4 showing p < 0.05.

Conclusions:

• Peripheral venipuncture technique requires improvement across nursing categories.
• Targeted education is needed to enhance nursing professionals' performance.
• Addressing identified errors can reduce venipuncture-related complications.