Level 1 Rapid Infuser Educational Video
by Michael Connelly
Poster Download
Purpose/Problem
The Level 1 Infuser is a device used to infuse large volumes of warmed fluid or blood into a patient suffering from significant blood loss and haemodynamic compromise. This causes rapid improvement in haemodynamic status and avoids the complications of cold fluid administration such as hypothermia and coagulopathy.
The infuser is indicated in situations involving acutely unwell patients who require timely intervention, but it’s set up is more complex than simple fluid administration. The situations in which it would be beneficial are infrequent in the department. This means that nursing staff are not confident in its deployment and it is therefore underutilised leading to suboptimal patient care.
Method
In order to improve staff confidence in its set up a video resource was produced. This was filmed in the location where it would be used by staff and included specific instructions on where all necessary parts were located and how to set it up ready for use. This video would be used to initially train staff and subsequently made available online so that staff could access it whenever needed.
Results
The video is now utilised in training all new nursing staff members. Formal results of the staff survey to follow for poster presentation but anecdotally after watching the video staff report that they are confident preparing the infuser ready for use and significant “reassurance” that it can be re-watched at any time.
Conclusion
Teaching videos are an effective way of educating staff and increasing confidence in the usage of infrequently required equipment.