Knowledge Regarding Intravenous Cannulation among Nursing Students at the School of Health Sciences of Purbanchal University, Gothgaun, Morang, Nepal

Abstract

Background: Health care professionals, especially nurses who frequently use an IV cannula in the hospital setting, must have good knowledge, be well trained, and have experience in the insertion of this device. Improper use of this vascular access device can lead to many complications, such as extravasation, infiltration, inflammation, obstruction, phlebitis, infection, sepsis, and thrombophlebitis. Objective: To assess the knowledge of intravenous cannulation and the association between knowledge levels and selected sociodemographic variables among BSc. Nursing students at the School of Health Sciences of Purbanchal University. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed. A total of 95 students were enrolled in this study, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The χ2 statistic was used to find the association between knowledge levels and the selected demographic variables. Results: Of the 95 nursing students, none obtained 100% knowledge scores. More than half of the students (55.8%) had adequate knowledge, and 44.2% had inadequate knowledge about intravenous cannulation. A statistically significant relationship was observed between knowledge level and the academic year of the students (P = 0.011). Conclusion: More than half of the nursing students had adequate knowledge about intravenous cannulation, while 44.2% of the students had inadequate knowledge that needed to be improved. A statistically significant relationship was observed between the knowledge level and academic year of the students, indicating that educational level significantly affected their knowledge. Key words: Intravenous cannula, Knowledge, Nursing students.