Attitudes towards three ultrasound-guided vascular access techniques in a paediatric emergency department.

BACKGROUND: although nurses often place peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters, little is known about their perceptions regarding use of ultrasound guidance.

AIM: the authors aimed to determine paediatric emergency department nurses' attitudes toward ultrasound-guided IV access techniques and assessed practice change after training.

METHOD: In a cross-sectional study of nurses, they had didactic and hands-on practice sessions, using three short-axis ultrasound-guided IV access techniques on gel models. Outcomes included likability and ease of learning and performing the techniques. A 3-month follow-up questionnaire assessed attitudes and behavioural changes.

RESULTS: 18 nurses were enrolled and 17 analysed. Participants liked all three techniques and thought they were easy to learn and perform. Eighty-two percent of the nurses used at least one technique clinically. The two-person self-guided technique was most preferred (65%) and used 3 months later (65%).

CONCLUSIONS: nurses reported generally positive attitudes toward all three ultrasound-guided IV access techniques, but preferred the two-person self-guided technique. Owing to the small sample size, these results cannot be generalised and further research is needed.