Emergency Nurse Arterial Line Education Using QR Code Reader

Arterial lines provide vital information regarding a critically ill patient's hemodynamic stability. It is essential that emergency nurses managing arterial lines are confident in their ability to care for patients with these lines.

Depending on which emergency department, managing and setting up arterial lines may not be frequently required. This was a problem in 1 area emergency department, where the nurses were found to be unable to set up and manage these lines confidently.

Fifteen registered nurses were asked to view a short but comprehensive educational video illustrating the setup and management of arterial lines accessed with the use of a quick response code. A pre- and post-test using a 5-question pre-/post-Likert-style scale questionnaire were administered to participants to evaluate their confidence related to the management of arterial lines and analyzed for a variation in scores.

Of the 5 content areas evaluated on the questionnaires, there was an increase in reported confidence level in all content areas after watching the educational video. Data analysis using a paired t test calculation shows a significant P value of .002. The areas included on the questionnaries included where to find materials, how to zero and flush the line, how to draw blood from the line, how to troubleshoot the line, and confidence with the overall management and setup of the line.

Educational tutorials can enhance clinical skills leading to a more confident nurse. Video tutorials accessible by quick response code are a quick and efficient educational resource for nurses. This method of teaching should be considered when providing education to nurses in the emergency department.