Effect of Nursing Guidelines Regarding Safe Procedure of Thoracentesis on Patients’ Outcomes

Abstract

Thoracentesis is a procedure that is used to drain and collect fluid from the pleural cavity. Fluid removal can either be done to alleviate the problems in the patient, to collect a sample to diagnose the underlying condition causing the need for the procedure. Aim: to evaluate the effect of nursing guidelines regarding safe procedure of thoracentesis on patients’ outcomes. Research design: A quasi experimental design. Setting: Thoracic Diseases Department and Thoracic Intensive Care Units affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospital. Subject: 60 patients (control & study groups) undergoing thoracentesis and 30 nurses was worked at the previously mentioned setting at the time of data collection. Tools of the study: Patients’ Assessment Questionnaire and Nurses’ Assessment Questionnaire. Results: There is positive correlation between total knowledge post program and total practice post program. Also there is positive correlation between total nurses’ practice regarding caring of patients undergoing thoracentesis, patients’ satisfaction level, and patients’ physiological parameters post guidelines implementation and there was positive  correlation between total nurses’ knowledge regarding caring of patients undergoing thoracentesis and patients’ satisfaction level, and patients’ complications post designed guidelines implementation,  Conclusion: It was concluded from this study that nursing guidelines regarding safe procedure of thoracentesis affect positively  on patients’ outcomes. Recommendations: This study recommended that developing periodical nurses' evaluation system to determine their knowledge and enhancing their practice, and conducting the study on a large sample.