Plan-Do-Check-Act Framework: Effects on Pediatric Students Nurses Compliance toward Using Intravenous Smart Pump

Background: Using Intravenous Smart Pump by pediatric nursing students has shaped the challenge of finding innovative ways to teach clinical skills. The study aimed to assess the effect of PDSA framework on pediatric nurses compliance in using smart pump technology for intravenous medication administration in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Design: A Quasi-Experimental quantitative, pre/post-test design was used to conduct the study. A purposive sample of 90 pediatric nursing students chosen based on the simple random sample for the academic year 2016– 2017, participated in the study.

Methods: Three tools were designed by the researchers to collect the necessary data to implement the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) framework.

Statistical Analysis: The collected data were coded, analyzed and tabulated using frequencies and percentage, mean, standard deviation & chi-square tests.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference and marked improvement in nurses students’ total knowledge and skills levels of smart pump intravenous administration (Pre and Post Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) framework) pre/post periods of assessment. It was observed that the majority of studied sample had good scores (100%, 97.8%, 97.8% & 93.3%) respectively post-intervention compared to (73.3%, 64.5%, 52.2%, 36.7%, 16.7%, 13.3%) pre-program and respectively (p<0.01).

Conclusion: Administration of intravenous therapy for neonates can be risky but when supported by the use of smart pump systems with proper programming, compliance nurses students and staff education by reporting, monitoring, it will be a valuable tool to avoid actually catastrophic damage related to medication and infusion errors.

Recommendation: Collaboration between health professionals is the key of successful implementation of smart infusion pump technology which can improve patient safety.