Principles and nursing management of anticoagulation

Understanding patient assessment and treatment in deep vein thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) commonly develops in the deep veins of the legs, but it can potentially form in any part of the body. There are several risk factors associated with DVT including prolonged immobility, malignancy, recent surgery and family history. One of the main risks of DVT is that the thrombus that has formed in a vein may travel through the body and become lodged in the pulmonary system, causing a pulmonary embolism, which is life-threatening. In the UK, specialist services and diagnostic pathways have been developed to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of DVT, many of which are now nurse-led. This article uses a case study to outline the assessment of patients with suspected DVT and the treatment of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of DVT.

Nurses' knowledge of anticoagulation therapy for atrial fibrillation patients: Effectiveness of an educational course

BACKGROUND

Oral anticoagulation is the most common method to decrease the risk of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation.

PURPOSE

To assess the knowledge of Jordanian nurses about anticoagulation therapy, the effectiveness of educational courses in increasing their knowledge, and the factors that affect nurses' changing knowledge following completion of an educational course.

METHOD

A pre/posttest quasi-experimental design was used. A total of 123 nurses participated in the study, identified by convenience sampling and recruited from five governmental hospitals in Jordan. To assess changes in knowledge between pre-and posttest, a questionnaire based on European cardiovascular nurses' knowledge of anticoagulation therapy was used. An educational course was given to improve participants' knowledge of anticoagulation therapy. The participants' knowledge was assessed before and after the educational course. For data analysis, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 was used.

RESULTS

Nurses' knowledge of anticoagulants was poor; however, a significant improvement was achieved following the educational course (M = 25.5, SD = 3.41), as compared to before conducting it (M = 12.2, SD = 5.3, t = 42.54, p < 0.001). Having an academic degree was found to affect the change in knowledge scores among participants (t = -3.52, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The educational course was effective in improving the nurses' knowledge. Baccalaureate degree holders achieved more improvement in their knowledge scores. Post-graduate education for nurses would help to improve their knowledge of anticoagulants. Revision of nursing curricula may be deemed necessary to improve the quality of education for nurses during their degree work, especially regarding anticoagulants.