Agency registered nurse use of medical equipment: an Australian perspective.

This cross-sectional survey explored how and what 142 registered nurses working for a nursing agency in a large South Australian city initially learn about the medical devices they use in direct patient care, as well as the consequences of device use both for patients and staff. The most frequently identified method of initial learning was reading the user/instruction manual. Furthermore, 87.1% of respondents indicated they had received instruction from another staff member on their units, typically another registered nurse. At least 90% of participants indicated they initially learned the purpose of the device and how to operate it. Medical device use caused 39.4% of registered nurses to feel stress. Only 10% indicated that they had used a medical device that had harmed a patient.