ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of structured nursing intervention for caregivers on maintenance of intravenous (IV) infusions in infants. METHODS: The structured nursing intervention was developed through the processes of interviews with nurses from pediatric wards. To identify the effects of the developed nursing intervention, a non-synchronized non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design study was conducted with caregivers from the pediatric ward from a hospital in Seoul. Of 100 admitted infants, 50 caregivers were assigned to the intervention group and received the structured nursing intervention for maintenance of intravenous infusions in infants. The others were assigned control group and received routine care. Data were collected on patient factors, IV insertion factors, treatments, and IV related complications. The form developed for the structured nursing intervention was used by staff nurses. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, IV insertion frequency in experimental group infants was significantly lower and IV related complications decreased (p<.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the structured nursing intervention for caregivers on maintenance of intravenous infusions may have effects on maintenance of intravenous infusions in infants, and decreasing IV related complications. This nursing intervention can be used to improve IV related problems of admitted infants.