Nurses' Performance Regarding Infusion Pumps' Medication Administration among Critically Ill Patients

Background: An infusion pump is a medical device that delivers fluids, such as
nutrients and medications, into a patient’s body in controlled amounts. Nurses have an important
role in ensuring safety in the infusion pumps’ medication administration process. This study
aimed to assess the nurses’ performance regarding the infusion pumps' medication
administration among critically ill patients. The study design was a descriptive exploratory
deign. It was conducted at the cardiac intensive care units at The Center of Cardiac and
Digestive System at Sohag. The study subjects included a convenience sample of 30 nurses.
Two tools were used for data collection, tool I: A designed infusion pumps’ questionnaire; it
included two parts; part 1 is concerned with the assessment of the demographic characteristics of
nurses, part 2, nurses’ knowledge questionnaire regarding intravenous medication administration
using infusion pumps, and tool II: An infusion pumps' medication administration observational
checklist. The main study results showed that near three quarter of the studied nurses had an
unsatisfactory level of total knowledge regarding infusion pumps' medication administration
among critically ill patients, more than half of them had unsatisfactory level of total practice
regarding infusion pumps' medication administration among critically ill patients and there was a
statistical significant correlation between the total nurses’ knowledge and their total practice level
regarding infusion pumps' medication administration among critically ill patients. It was
concluded that the studied nurses' knowledge and practice were inadequate and there was
statistical significant correlation between the total nurses’ knowledge and their total practice. It
was recommended that health care settings should provide in-service educational programs and
upgrading courses based on evidence based guidelines to improve the nurses’ knowledge and
practice regarding the administration of intravenous medications using infusion pumps.