Validation of the Nursing Student Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Insertion Self-Confidence Scale.

Background and Purpose: It has been shown that nurse confidence predicts peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) insertion success. However, intravenous cannulation is a challenging skill for entry to practice students. To date, there is no well-validated measure of nursing student self-confidence in learning and performing PIVC insertion. To address this measurement gap, we created and validated the Nursing Student PIVC Insertion Self-Confidence Scale. Methods: This study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional design. Three cohorts of undergraduate entry-to-practice students at a Canadian university were recruited and assessed during their studies. Two hundred and eighty-one students completed the scale at the first data collection point and 146 at the second point. The structure of the tool was analyzed by exploratory factor analysis to extract factors and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed for validation. Results: CFA revealed a three-factor scale (PIVC Cannulation Confidence, PIVC Preparation and Securement Confidence, and PIVC Learning Confidence). It has 15 items with satisfactory goodness of fit indices. Conclusions: The Nursing Student PIVC Insertion Self-Confidence Scale is a valid and reliable scale to measure nursing students' confidence in learning about and performing PIVC insertions.

Innovative approaches to teaching vascular access to nursing students in the COVID-19 era.

PURPOSE: For the student nurse, peripheral venous cannulation is one of the most stressful skills to be learned. Although some healthcare employers/establishments offer courses on vascular access and infusion nursing as part of their onboarding programs, ultimately educational institutions should share the responsibility to ensure that graduating nurses can provide safe infusion therapies. METHODS: An innovative vascular access and infusion nursing (VAIN) curriculum was created and mapped onto the entry to practice undergraduate nursing program at McGill University in Montréal, Québec, Canada. This presented an opportunity to implement new teaching approaches. RESULTS: Students experienced multiple new teaching approaches including multimedia and experiential learning and live simulation to ensure acquisition of knowledge and psychomotor skills. The teaching approaches had to be rapidly modified with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The VAIN curriculum emphasizes simulation and directed practice, seeking to increase competence, confidence, and knowledge. The pandemic underscored the need for flexibility and creativity in content delivery.