[Local anesthesia in arterial puncture: nurses' knowledge and attitudes]. / Anestesia local en la punción arterial: actitudes y conocimientos de enfermería.

OBJECTIVE: Local anesthesia is rarely used in arterial puncture, even though it is recommended. The aim of this study was to examine attitudes and beliefs among nurses and third-year undergraduate nursing students in hospital training regarding the use of local anesthesia when performing arterial puncture and to assess their knowledge of the technique. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nurses and nursing students were issued a 15-item questionnaire consisting of 2 parts. The first part contained questions on the nurse's use of local anesthesia when extracting arterial blood for analysis and the second part involved questions regarding technical knowledge of this test. The results of nurses from the respiratory medicine department, nurses from the rest of the hospital, and nursing students were compared. RESULTS: The questionnaire was answered by the 131 the nurses surveyed. Valid questionnaires were returned by 17 of the 19 nursing students surveyed. Questionnaires returned by nurses from the respiratory medicine department (n=11) were separated from those returned by the rest of nurses. Local anesthesia was used routinely by 7 nurses (5%), of whom 3 (27%) belonged to the respiratory medicine department; local anesthesia was not used by any of the nursing students. The main reasons given by nurses for not using local anesthesia were lack of knowledge (54%), need to perform 2 punctures when anesthesia is used (11%), belief that the same amount of pain is caused with anesthesia (8%), and success on the first attempt at arterial puncture (7%). The main reason given by student nurses for not using local anesthesia was also lack of knowledge (53%), followed by the fact that it was not used by the nurses (24%). Most of those surveyed (63%) indicated a desire to receive anesthesia should they undergo arterial puncture. CONCLUSIONS: Local anesthesia is used very little in arterial puncture. Knowledge about how to perform arterial blood extraction for blood gas analysis is insufficient and needs to be improved among both nurses and nursing students. Nonetheless it is noteworthy that most of those surveyed indicated a preference for receiving local anesthesia if they were to undergo the procedure. These data should be taken into consideration when training nurses to perform arterial puncture.

Anestesia local en la punción arterial: actitudes y conocimientos de enfermería / Local anesthesia in arterial puncture: nurses' knowledge and attitudes

OBJETIVO: Aunque se recomienda el uso de anestesia local para la realización de la punción arterial, su empleo es muy escaso. El propósito del estudio ha sido conocer la actitud y los prejuicios sobre el empleo de la anestesia local para la realización de la punción arterial entre los profesionales de enfermería y alumnos de tercer curso de la diplomatura de enfermería en prácticas hospitalarias en nuestro hospital, así como el grado de conocimiento de la técnica. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se pasó a enfermeros y estudiantes de enfermería un cuestionario que constaba de 15 preguntas, divididas en 2 partes: una hacía referencia al uso de la anestesia local en la extracción de una gasometría arterial, y en la segunda se preguntaba por conocimientos técnicos de la prueba. Se compararon los resultados de los enfermeros de la Unidad de Neumología con el resto de profesionales del hospital, así como de los profesionales y estudiantes de enfermería. RESULTADOS: Contestaron el cuestionario los 131 enfermeros encuestados. De los 19 alumnos de tercer curso de enfermería, fueron válidas 17 encuestas. Del total de profesionales se separó a los enfermeros/as de la Unidad de Neumología (n = 11). Utilizaban habitualmente anestesia local 7 profesionales (5%), de los que 3 (27%) pertenecían a la Unidad de Neumología, mientras que ningún alumno de enfermería la usaba. Entre los profesionales, los principales motivos para no utilizar la anestesia fueron: desconocimiento (54%), necesidad de realizar 2 punciones si se usa anestesia (11%), por considerar que produce el mismo dolor con anestesia (8%) y por acertar en la primera punción (7%). En cuanto a los motivos de los alumnos de enfermería, el principal fue, al igual que entre los profesionales, el desconocimiento (53%), seguido de la falta de uso por éstos (24%). La mayoría de los encuestados (63%) querría que a ellos sí se les aplicase anestesia en la punción arterial. CONCLUSIONES: El uso de la anestesia local es muy escaso. Los conocimientos sobre la realización de la gasometría arterial no son óptimos y deben mejorar tanto entre los profesionales como entre los estudiantes de enfermería. Sin embargo, es de destacar que la mayoría de los entrevistados prefería que a ellos se les realizara la punción arterial con anestesia local. Estos datos deben tenerse en cuenta en el proceso formativo de los profesionales de enfermería sobre la punción arterial

OBJECTIVE: Local anesthesia is rarely used in arterial puncture, even though it is recommended. The aim of this study was to examine attitudes and beliefs among nurses and third-year undergraduate nursing students in hospital training regarding the use of local anesthesia when performing arterial puncture and to assess their knowledge of the technique. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nurses and nursing students were issued a 15-item questionnaire consisting of 2 parts. The first part contained questions on the nurse's use of local anesthesia when extracting arterial blood for analysis and the second part involved questions regarding technical knowledge of this test. The results of nurses from the respiratory medicine department, nurses from the rest of the hospital, and nursing students were compared. RESULTS: The questionnaire was answered by the 131 the nurses surveyed. Valid questionnaires were returned by 17 of the 19 nursing students surveyed. Questionnaires returned by nurses from the respiratory medicine department (n=11) were separated from those returned by the rest of nurses. Local anesthesia was used routinely by 7 nurses (5%), of whom 3 (27%) belonged to the respiratory medicine department; local anesthesia was not used by any of the nursing students. The main reasons given by nurses for not using local anesthesia were lack of knowledge (54%), need to perform 2 punctures when anesthesia is used (11%), belief that the same amount of pain is caused with anesthesia (8%), and success on the first attempt at arterial puncture (7%). The main reason given by student nurses for not using local anesthesia was also lack of knowledge (53%), followed by the fact that it was not used by the nurses (24%). Most of those surveyed (63%) indicated a desire to receive anesthesia should they undergo arterial puncture. CONCLUSIONS: Local anesthesia is used very little in arterial puncture. Knowledge about how to perform arterial blood extraction for blood gas analysis is insufficient and needs to be improved among both nurses and nursing students. Nonetheless it is noteworthy that most of those surveyed indicated a preference for receiving local anesthesia if they were to undergo the procedure. These data should be taken into consideration when training nurses to perform arterial puncture