Nursing Interventions and Challenges for Preventing Venous Catheter Infections

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the nursing interventions and challenges to prevent venous catheter infections. The aim of this study was to produce new knowledge on what challenges nurses are face and how nurses are able to prevent venous catheter infections. The study followed a descriptive literature review approach and employed an inductive qualitative content analysis of twenty-five articles retrieved from the CINAHL and PubMed databases. The study identified many of the nursing interventions, including, general infection controls, use of standard protocols, documentation , timely and scheduled dressing, maintenance care, aseptic techniques in practice, compliance monitoring, environmental safety, prevention oriental preparation. Nurses, however, were confronted with a range of challenges, including, lack of knowledge and education, training and guideline barriers, application gaps, non- adherence issues, hygiene and techniques gaps, impairing hygiene standards, documentation gaps, supply and resources issues, staffing and experience challenges, technical and procedural challenges, responsibility and risk, positive aspects and potential. This study highlighted the important nursing interventions that preventing venous catheter infections in health care settings and challenges nurses faced when applying these interventions.