Logo image
Back
Use of an Intravenous (IV) Start Mentorship Program to Increase Nursing Confidence
Dissertation

Use of an Intravenous (IV) Start Mentorship Program to Increase Nursing Confidence

Ellie R Burris
University of Iowa
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), University of Iowa
Spring 2026
pptx
EBurris_DNP_Poster_Ellie_BurrisDownloadView
Open Access Free to read and download

Abstract

Background: Difficult peripheral intravenous (IV) access is a common challenge in inpatient hospital settings and is associated with delayed patient care, increased supply use, workflow disruptions, and more. Within a large Midwestern hospital organization, IV start assistance requests increased substantially, revealing limitations in the existing protocol and highlighting the need for targeted interventions to enhance bedside nursing competency. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to implement and evaluate an IV Start Mentorship Program on two medical–surgical inpatient units to improve nursing confidence, knowledge, and skill related to difficult IV starts and to reduce the number of IV start assistance requests. Methods: This quality improvement initiative utilized a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework and was implemented over four months (June–September 2025) on two inpatient medical–surgical units. Bedside registered nurses received real-time mentorship and coaching from the flight team during IV start assistance encounters. Data collection included pre- and post-implementation surveys assessing confidence, knowledge, and skill, as well as comparison of IV start request rates from the same four-month period in the prior year. Descriptive statistics, two-tailed Mann-Whitney test, and qualitative synthesis were used for data analysis. Findings: Post-implementation results demonstrated a 43.8% reported increase in confidence with difficult IV starts and a 37.5% reported gain in IV-related knowledge and/or skills. IV start assistance requests decreased substantially from 166 requests in the pre-implementation period to 73 requests during implementation, exceeding the project’s targeted reduction goal. All post-survey respondents (100%) expressed support for continuation of the mentorship program. Discussion: Although statistical significance was not demonstrated in pre- and post-confidence scores, clinically meaningful improvements were observed. Findings align with existing literature supporting mentorship and peer coaching as effective strategies for enhancing nursing confidence and clinical skill. Limitations included small sample size, staffing variability, and workflow constraints. Despite these barriers, the program demonstrated feasibility, sustainability, and organizational value.
 Mentorship peer coaching preceptor intravenous (IV) confidence quality improvement

Details

Metrics

1 Record Views
Logo image