Development of ECMO training program for ICU nurses knowledge gain and self-efficacy outcomes assessment: quasi-experimental evaluation : ECMO training & nursing

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To develop an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) training program for intensive care unit (ICU) nurses and assessing the impact of the training on the knowledge and self-efficacy outcomes of the ICU nurses. BACKROUND: The number of patients receiving ECMO support is increasing in Turkiye. However, ICU nurses providing care to ECMO patients lack of structured ECMO training programs. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study including a single group pretest and posttest. METHODS: The study was conducted with 50 ICU nurses working in a public hospital in Ankara, Türkiye. ECMO training program was developed based on the ADDIE (A = Analyze, D = Design, D = Develop, I = Implement, E = Evaluation) model. Data were collected through with a “Knowledge Test’, ‘Self-Efficacy Perception Scale Regarding the Effectiveness of ICU Nurses in the Care of Patients with ECMO (ECMO- SEPS), ‘Simulation checklist’ and ‘Evaluation form for the effectiveness of the training programme’. RESULTS: In the pretest measurement of the nurses, the mean total score of the knowledge test was 12.0 ± 3.60, while it increased to 21.4 ± 3.57 after the training. In a retest one month after the training, the mean was found to be 20.2 ± 4.92 (p < 0.05). The effect size in the knowledge test (d = 2.62) confirms that the educational content was successful in transferring knowledge. It was found that the posttest and retest sub-dimension scores of the ECMO- SEPS increased in all three sub-dimensions compared to the pretest scores, and this increase was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The training significantly increased nurses’ self-efficacy (η²=0.702) at a statistically significant and practically important level. The strongest effect was in the cognitive domain (η²=0.736). In the psychomotor domain (η²=0.592), it significantly improved application skills. Affective (η²=0.576): Education had a significant impact on motivation and self-confidence. After the training, an average of 15.0 ± 4.04 of the 22 items in the simulation checklist were fully implemented by the nurses. CONCLUSION: In this study η² values and statistical significance (p < 0.001) prove that ECMO training program is clinically effective and sustainable for ICU nurses knowledge and self-efficacy. The lack of a control group in the study and the fact that all participants were from a single hospital limits the generalisability of the findings. Therefore, it is recommended that future studies implement the ECMO training programme nationwide and be randomised controlled trials. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.