Formation of Nursing Staff in Intensive Care Units: Evaluation of Adherence to Recommendations and Variability in Management of Central Venous Catheters

The use of devices such as catheters is crucial in the formation of nursing professionals. Venous catheters are extensively used in the healthcare system, primarily in ICUs. Although its effectiveness has been proved, its use implies complications such as bacteremia associated to its insertion and maintenance, with associated morbidity and mortality rates. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of variability in the management of Central Venous Catheters (CVCs) by nursing professionals in intensive care units, as well as their adherence to CDC recommendations and the importance of nursing staff in this regard. Using the National Patient Safety Goals, hospital accrediting agencies require hospitals to keep their healthcare professionals, including students, properly educated with regard to the competencies and skills associated with their profession before beginning clinical practice. This way, they are better prepared to practice their profession and will be able to reduce the risk of complications in patients. It is up to educators to keep their students up to date with regard to the development of practices based on new scientific evidence, particularly concerning the use of devices, in this case CVCs, so that these professionals are better prepared for the work field upon completion of their degree.. Key-Words: Nursing Education, Nursing Competencies, Adherence, Bacteremia, Central Venous Catheter, CDC, Intensive Care, Clinical Practice. a Metropolitan University (SUAGM, Puerto Rico-United States). b University of Málaga (Spain). Correspondence: María A. Mercado de Jesús, Universidad Metropolitana, PO Box 21150, San Juan, PR 00928 (Puerto Rico, Estados Unidos). mmercado56@suagm.edu María A. Mercado De Jesús and José Miguel Morales Asencio, International Journal of Educational Excellence, (2018) Vol. 4, No. 1, 101-128. ISSN 2373-5929. DOI: 10.18562/IJEE.035