TRAINING OF THE NURSING TEAM IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF PHLEBITIS IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN SÃO PAULO

Abstract

Phlebitis is an acute inflammatory process affecting a vein where a vascular device has been inserted, which may cause edema, discomfort, pain, hyperemia at the insertion site, and the presence of a palpable fibrous cord along the venous pathway, with or without purulent secretion. Its main causes are related to mechanical, chemical, and bacterial factors. This study aims to develop a training project for the nursing staff of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) focused on peripheral venous access care and phlebitis prevention, with the objective of reducing its incidence, whether mechanical, chemical, bacterial, or post-infusion, as well as promoting awareness regarding appropriate conduct in the presence of phlebitis according to the institutional protocol. A qualitative approach based on the observational method was used for data collection, enabling the identification of failures in phlebitis prevention processes. In addition, improvements to nursing care practices were proposed through the application of the PDCA cyclical method, using interactive games and slide-based training. The study also presents a quantitative approach, as it aims to reduce the incidence of phlebitis in the ICU by monitoring unit indicators for up to three months after the implementation of the project. During the years 2019 and 2020, adverse events related to phlebitis were reported in the ICU, with an accumulated median of 11.8 and a total of 94 reported cases. With the implementation of this project, the expectation is to reduce the current median from 11.8 to 8. Through the PDCA tool, the study proposes implementing actions such as staff training, educational cards, and the Tasy® alert window, measures expected to optimize safe patient care and reduce phlebitis rates in the unit, contributing to improvements in healthcare assistance. The implementation of this project involves financial and human resources from the institution, especially the nursing team, requiring important internal changes and the engagement of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, supported by the unit coordination. Continuous reassessment of care practices and unit indicators is recommended in order to ensure ongoing education and professional training.