Extravasation management in the pediatric oncology ward of Childrenʼs Hospital of Fudan University: a best practice implementation project

BACKGROUND: Extravasation in a pediatric patient can cause a serious adverse event, but many nurses have insufficient experience to deal with it during intravenous administration. Our division implemented a best practice project, which included extravasation kit instruction preparation, staff education and an update of institutional policy and procedures. The project focused on auditing the extent to which the protocol was implemented and promoting its implementation. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the project was to establish an evidence-based policy and procedure for extravasation management, improve knowledge regarding best practice of extravasation management among staff and formalize the documentation template for extravasation events. METHODS: The Joanna Briggs Institute's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice were used to examine compliance with criteria based on the best available evidence before and after the implementation of strategies to promote the use of the evidence-based practice protocol. RESULTS: Four criteria showed a noticeable improvement in compliance: increased use of extravasation kit (0-100%), updated policies and procedure (0-94%), staff education (19-94%) and documented outcomes (13-88%). CONCLUSIONS: The project successfully established effective strategies for establishing an extravasation kit instruction sheet, updating policies and procedures, continuous staff education and nursing documentation to ensure best practice and improve patient outcomes.