The Efficacy of Implementing Nurse-performed Ultrasound-guided Peripheral Intravenous Access in Oncology Patients

The Efficacy of Implementing Nurse-performed Ultrasound-guided Peripheral Intravenous Access in Oncology Patients: a Prospective Interventional Clinical Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical efficacy of nurse-performed ultrasound-guided intravenous access in oncology patients on the oncological outpatient unit in the National Hospital of the Faroe Islands.

This project is prospective, interventional, clinical study aligned in four different time stages.

In the first stage, the pre-implementation stage, procedures are as usual, where the patient receives intravenous access via the use of the traditional palpation technique and data will be registered. In the next stage, the training stage, the nurses on the oncological outpatient unit will be trained in the use of the ultrasound-guided technique to place peripheral intravenous catheters and will be supervised by specialists in ultrasound. In the third stage, the implementation stage, the nurses will use the ultrasound technique as a daily routine in their practice. In the fourth stage, the post-implementation stage, the same data registration as in the first stage will be registered (see outcome measures) and the results will be compared in order to see the efficacy before and after implementation of ultrasound guidance. It is estimated a total sample of 100 cannulation procedures with approximately 30 patients needed in the pre-implementation and post-implementation stages.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Cancer patients admitted to the oncological outpatient unit are eligible for inclusion if they are scheduled for treatment with chemotherapy requiring placement of peripheral intravenous catheter, aged 18 years or older, and reside in the Faroe Islands.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lack of informed consent and mental incapacity.