Comparison of Adverse Events due to Differences in NICU Nursing Expertise

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Nursing quality influences patient' outcomes in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We compared differences in adverse events (AEs) by differences in the level of nursing experience at the NICU, developed guidelines to prevent AE, and then investigated the change in AE. METHODS: AEs related to nursing were investigated from January 1, 2009 to December 31 2009 at the NICU of the newly established A hospital and B hospital that has been operating for 14 years. We also assessed the level of nursing experience. Guidelines to prevent nursing-related AEs were prepared at A hospital, and the change in the incidence of AE was investigated after 1 year. RESULTS: Twenty nurses (80%) had <2 years experience at A hospital, whereas 13 nurses (65%) had 2 years or longer but less than 4 years experience at B hospital (P<0.001). The number of incidences of AE that occurred in 2009 in A hospital was higher (46) than that at B hospital (10). Intravenous (IV) injection-related incidents had the highest share in both hospitals: 24 incidents (52.2%) at hospital A and eight incidents (80%) at hospital B. After the guidelines were instituted in 2009, the number of nursing AEs decreased to 17, of which the number of IV incidents was the highest (6, 35%), athough its share decreased. CONCLUSION: Supervision and prevention guidelines should be in place to reduce nursing AEs, which would improve the quality of NICU service.