Impact of Difficult Intravenous Access and Ultrasound-Guided Cannulation Teaching on Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed-Methods, Multi-site Study

This was a mixed-methods study designed to evaluate the impact that difficult intravenous access situations and ultrasound-guided cannulation teaching have on healthcare professionals (HCPs). Quantitative data were collected from pre- and post-surveys from a multi-site ultrasound-guided cannulation course (n = 252). The difference in self-reported confidence between the surveys was analysed for significance using a complete case analysis, a two-tailed paired samples T-test with a 95% confidence interval. Qualitative data were collected from two semi-structured focus groups with a total of 13 participants and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Difficult cannulation situations negatively impact HCPs, causing workflow disruptions and emotions such as guilt, helplessness, and self-doubt. After receiving ultrasound-guided cannulation teaching, course participants felt significantly more confident in their ability to cannulate patients (t = -9.55, p < 0.001), identify peripheral structures using ultrasound (t = -20.51, p < 0.001), and use ultrasound to aid cannulation (t = -32.93, p < 0.001). Focus group participants felt that ultrasound-guided cannulation teaching reduced the negative impact of subsequent difficult cannulation experiences.