The effectiveness of video training in improving intensive care nurses' knowledge about brain death identification

Abstract

BackgroundBecause patients diagnosed with brain death in intensive care units constitute a potential cadaveric donor group for organ transplantation, intensive care units are potential donor sources. Nurses who closely monitor the patient collaborate with medical personnel in the recognition and early diagnosis of brain death. Nurses also have an important role in supporting the patient's family. Therefore, it is very important for nurses to know the diagnostic criteria for brain death.AimThe aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of theoretical education and video‐assisted education in equipping intensive care nurses to recognize brain death.Study DesignA randomized, experimental study was conducted between February and May 2020 with a total of 50 intensive care nurses, split into 25 in the video‐assisted training group and 25 in the theoretical training group. In study, intensive care nurses were given a theoretical training and video‐assisted training on brain death criteria. One group was trained theoretically and the other group used a video showing criteria for brainstem reflexes (pupil assessment, spontaneous breathing, corneal reflex, retching and coughing assessments) and deep tendon reflexes in a simulated patient, supported by animation. The data were collected before, immediately after and 3 months after the training using the Brain Death Criteria Knowledge Test, the Brain Death Case Test, and the Training Effectiveness Evaluation Form. The independent samples t‐test, Mann–Whitney U test, Friedman test, Wilcoxon test, and Chi‐square test were used for statistical analysis of data.ResultsIt was found that the knowledge scores of both groups immediately after training and 3 months after training were higher than before the training (p < .001). However, the post‐training knowledge scores of the video‐assisted training group were significantly higher than those of the theoretical training group (p = .011).ConclusionsTo enable intensive care nurses to identify brain death, video‐assisted training with a simulated patient is recommended, as is repeating the training at regular intervals.Relevance to Clinical PracticeThe simulated patient video‐assisted training method can be used for in‐service training to provide intensive care nurses with the ability to identify brain death. The training may be repeated at regular intervals (e.g., every 3 months) to increase nurse recall.

Introduction to the issue and goodbye as co‐editor in chief

“…As the number of our submissions and accepted papers has increased, so too must the number of papers published in our issues, with this issue featuring around 25 papers around a number of themes, such as sleep promotion, 1,2 the impact of COVID-19 on both patients' experiences and nurses, [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] technology use in the intensive care unit (ICU) 10,11 and quantitative research, involving statistics. 1,2,[12][13][14] Our statistical advisor Dr. Chao Huang, in collaboration with the editors, has written an informative guest editorial 15 around why it is so important that nurses can understand basic statistics to be able to read and interpret papers such as these.…”