Training on intravenous medication administration in pediatric nursing: a before-after study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of training on intravenous medication administration in pediatric patients on nursing staff ‘s learning and response. Method: This is a quasi-experimental study (pre- and post-test), with 38 nursing professionals who participated in training on administration of intravenous (IV) medication in pediatric patients with heart disease. For data collection, a questionnaire with 19 items was applied to evaluate participants’ learning before (pre-test) and after (post-test) training. Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics (binomial and Friedman tests). Results: Nurses predominated (52.6%), mean age 41.2 years and 9.8 years of professional experience in pediatrics. For learning evaluation, there was an increase in the rate of hits from the pre-test to the posttest in 13 items, with a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the items: removing adornments to sanitize hands; wearing gloves when administering medication; administering medication with gloves, mask and goggles; and checking patient name by asking their companion. Conclusion: Training had positive effects on nursing professionals' learning and reaction.