Nursing care practices following a percutaneous coronary intervention: results of a survey of Australian and New Zealand cardiovascular nurses.

BACKGROUND

Although there is high-level evidence to guide optimal medical care for percutaneous coronary interventions, there are less explicit guidelines to support nurses in providing care.

AIM

This study describes the practice standards and priorities of care of cardiovascular nurses in Australia and New Zealand.

METHOD

Item generation for the survey was informed by an integrative literature review and existing clinical guidelines. A 116-item Web-based survey was administered to cardiovascular nurses, via electronic mail lists of professional cardiovascular nursing organizations, using a secure online data collection system.

RESULTS

Data were collected from March 2008 to March 2009. A total of 148 respondents attempted the survey, with 110 (74.3%) completing all items. All respondents were registered nurses with an average of 12.3 (SD, 7.61) years of clinical experience in the cardiovascular setting. A range of practice patterns was evident in ambulation time after percutaneous coronary intervention, methods of sheath removal, pain relief, and patient positioning. Respondents consistently rated psychosocial care a lower priority than other tasks and also identified a knowledge deficit in this area.

CONCLUSION

This survey identified diversity of practice patterns and a range of educational needs. Increasing evidence to support evidence-based practice and guideline development is necessary to promote high-quality care and improved patient outcomes.