Short peripheral catheter insertion success and anxiety in NICU nurse: A cross-sectional study

The achievement of intravenous access for critically ill children can present a significant challenge for medical staff. The aim of the study was to find out how often SPCs are successfully inserted and levels of anxiety in NICU nurses.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 59 NICU nurses at a university hospital. After obtaining ethics committee and institutional approval, data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the SPC Application Form, and the State Anxiety Scale. Data were evaluated using numbers, percentages, means, Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and simple linear regression analyses in the SPSS 23.0 program.

The success rate for SPC initial insertion by nurses was 40.7%. In cases of failure (59.3%), 42.9% of nurses either interrupted the insertion of the SPC or called for an experienced nurse to insert it. The nurses' mean anxiety score was 36.61 ± 9.76. Nurses who had failed three or more SPC insertion interventions had a higher mean anxiety score than others. Additionally, SPC insertion success explained 12.6% of the variance in nurses' anxiety levels.

NICU nurses' success in initial insertion of the SPC is lower than in other studies, and they experience mild anxiety. This includes risks such as repeated SPC insertions on neonates, the development of complications, delayed treatment, and negative emotions in parents and nurses. Further large-scale studies are needed to improve interventions and policies that will increase the success of SPC insertion, such as the use of "5 Rights for Venous Access," "RaSuVA," vascular access devices and training on simulators.