[Clinical teaching program: standardized operating procedure for intra-aortic balloon pump support].

Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is one of the most important treatment strategies for patients with heart failure in the intensive care unit (ICU). To ensure quality of treatment, clinical preceptors must employ effective teaching strategies to acquaint nurses with the proper use of IABPs. Many nurses are hesitant to use IABPs due to lack of knowledge regarding their use. Classroom lectures and instruction manual-style materials are often ineffective strategies for teaching novice nurses to use IABPs properly and have resulted in unsatisfactory patient treatment quality. This study developed a creative, pithy rhyme to help nurses remember the key elements of IABP support as part of their IABP learning process. This innovative tool uses rhymes and mental images to instill critical information related to IABP use and help nurses become fluent IABP users.