The effect of a nursing staff education program on compliance with central line care policy in the cardiac intensive care unit.

Complications related to central venous line use are known to increase patient morbidity and mortality and increase costs and length of hospital stay. Education programs to promote best central line practice have been shown to reduce central line complications. The purpose of this research was to demonstrate the effectiveness of an education module on staff compliance regarding central line care policy in the pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). A quasi-experimental pre and post-test design was conducted in the CVICU at a major pediatrics hospital in the Southwest. A self-study module was distributed to all RN's working in the CVICU. Pre and post-test results were used to analyze the effectiveness of the education module. Compliance with central line care policy was scored as a "yes" or "no" based upon 10 observable policy requirements. Data was collected on 47 patients over a 1 to 2-month period pre and post intervention during rounds in the CVICU. Results show a marked improvement in compliance with policy.