Sustained improvements in peripheral venous catheter care in non-intensive care units: a quasi-experimental controlled study of education and feedback.

Background and objectives. Peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) can be associated with serious infectious complications. We evaluated the effect of education and feedback on process measures to improve PVC care and infectious complications.Design. Quasi-experimental controlled crossover study with sampling before and after education.Setting. An 804-bed tertiary care teaching hospital.Participants. Nurses and patients in 10 non–intensive care units.Methods. We implemented a process to improve PVC care in 10 non–intensive care units. The 4 periods (each 3 months in duration) included a preintervention period and a staggered educational intervention among nurses. During intervention period 1, 5 units participated in the intervention (group A), and 5 units served as a control group (group B). Group B underwent the intervention during intervention period 2, and both groups A and B received feedback on performance during intervention period 3. Process measures were evaluated twice monthly, and feedback was given ...