Innovative approaches to teaching vascular access to nursing students in the COVID-19 era

Abstract

Purpose: For the student nurse, peripheral venous cannulation is one of the most stressful skills to be learned. Although some healthcare employers/establishments offer courses on vascular access and infusion nursing as part of their onboarding programs, ultimately educational institutions should share the responsibility to ensure that graduating nurses can provide safe infusion therapies. Methods: An innovative vascular access and infusion nursing (VAIN) curriculum was created and mapped onto the entry to practice undergraduate nursing program at McGill University in Montréal, Québec, Canada. This presented an opportunity to implement new teaching approaches. Results: Students experienced multiple new teaching approaches including multimedia and experiential learning and live simulation to ensure acquisition of knowledge and psychomotor skills. The teaching approaches had to be rapidly modified with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: The VAIN curriculum emphasizes simulation and directed practice, seeking to increase competence, confidence, and knowledge. The pandemic underscored the need for flexibility and creativity in content delivery.

Evaluating Nursing Students' Venipuncture and Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation Knowledge, Attitude, and Performance

“…The outcomes of this study and supporting literature would affirm the argument that it is no longer appropriate to simply have a one-off course on intravenous cannulation. 31 There is a need for more effective training and skills development opportunities to ensure confident, competent, and proficient practitioners who will play a crucial role in reducing the possibilities of patient complications.…”