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[Assessment and choice of the device for vascular access]
Stefano Finotto1, Roberto Caroli, Maura Cabrini
1Dott. Mag. in Scienze Infermieristiche e Ostetriche, Tutor Corso di Laurea in Infermieristica Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, sede di Reggio Emilia. Correspondence: Stefano.Finotto@asmn.re.it.
Insights
Nurses often lack clear vascular assessment criteria and standardized device selection procedures, impacting patient care and hospital efficiency. Implementing consistent protocols can improve outcomes and reduce infusion treatment costs.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Practice
- Vascular Access Management
- Patient Safety
Context:
- Effective vascular monitoring and appropriate device selection by nurses are crucial for optimizing infusion therapy.
- Current practices may lead to complications, prolonged hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs.
Purpose:
- To determine if a standardized procedure exists for selecting the most suitable venous access device.
- To identify nurses' criteria for vascular assessment and the timing of these assessments.
Summary:
- A descriptive study involving 227 nurses revealed that only 14% work in wards with a procedure for choosing the best venous device.
- The majority of nurses (70%) reported no such procedure, and 16% were unsure.
- Nurses indicated a lack of clear criteria for vascular assessment and varied timing for conducting these assessments during infusion processes.
Impact:
- The absence of standardized procedures and clear criteria may hinder optimal patient outcomes and efficient resource utilization.
- Establishing clear guidelines for vascular assessment and device selection can enhance patient satisfaction and reduce infusion-related complications and costs.
Abstract:
The accurate vascular monitoring by nurses both at the beginning and during infusion treatment, in addition to the selection of the best device for each patient, can increase patient satisfaction, reduce complications, preserve peripheral veins, reduce or eliminate time used to find unlikely vein access, reduce hospital stay length and reduce the costs associated with infusion treatment. Aims of study are to ascertain the presence of a procedure for choosing the most suitable venous device for each patient, to identify nurses' criteria to make a vascular assessment, and to describe when nurses make a vascular assessment. A descriptive study with convenience sample of 290 nurses. The data collection instrument is an anonymous questionnaire. The questionnaires administered, returned, and considered valid were 227. 14% of the sample states that within their ward there is a a procedure to evaluate the most suitable device, while 70% states the opposite and 16% of the sample states that "they do not know". The results show fairly clearly that in the wards considered there is no procedure currently in use in order to choose the most suitable device for each patient, that nurses do not have clear criteria to make a vascular assessment, that they carry out vascular assessment at different times of the infusion's process.
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