Abstract
Background: External ventricular drain (EVD) care is a vital procedure in neurosurgical ICUs. Improper management may cause severe complications and threaten patient safety. Routine audits revealed multiple deficiencies in EVD care, prompting this improvement project.
Purpose: To enhance EVD care accuracy among ICU nurses through systematic education and evaluation.
Methods: Root cause analysis identified key issues: lengthy training materials, limited teaching aids, and lack of audits. From August 10, 2023, interventions included:
(1) gamified education sessions;
(2) mnemonic cards with concise learning phrases;
(3) virtual reality (VR) simulation for hands-on learning; and
(4) a structured audit and feedback system to monitor skills.
Results: Post-intervention, EVD care knowledge accuracy rose from 77.2% to 97.7%, and operational skill accuracy from 75.8% to 97.4%. Staff reported higher engagement and confidence in performing EVD-related care.
Conclusion: This project effectively improved the accuracy and safety of EVD care, promoting high-quality nursing in the neurosurgical ICU. The model can guide similar quality improvement efforts in other high-risk clinical settings.
Notes
References:
Alomar, S. A., Bandah, S. T., Noman, G. A., Kadi, M., Abulnaja, G. A., & Abdullah, G. (2023). The impact of nursing education on emergency bedside external ventricular drain insertion for patients with acute hydrocephalus. Cureus, 15(1), e34262. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.34262
Sakamoto, V. T. M., Vieira, T. W., Viegas, K., Blatt, C. R., & Caregnato, R. C. A. (2021). Nursing assistance in patient care with external ventricular drain: A scoping review. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 74, e20190796. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2019-0796
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quality Improvement
Research Approach
Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice
Keywords:
Acute Care, Implementation Science, Teaching and Learning Strategies
Recommended Citation
Chang, Chun-Fang; Yang, Shuang-Yu; Huang, Lu-Hsin; and Chao, Ya-Lan, "Improving Accuracy of External Ventricular Drain Care Among Neurosurgical ICU Nurses" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 15.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/15
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-07-21
Improving Accuracy of External Ventricular Drain Care Among Neurosurgical ICU Nurses
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: External ventricular drain (EVD) care is a vital procedure in neurosurgical ICUs. Improper management may cause severe complications and threaten patient safety. Routine audits revealed multiple deficiencies in EVD care, prompting this improvement project.
Purpose: To enhance EVD care accuracy among ICU nurses through systematic education and evaluation.
Methods: Root cause analysis identified key issues: lengthy training materials, limited teaching aids, and lack of audits. From August 10, 2023, interventions included:
(1) gamified education sessions;
(2) mnemonic cards with concise learning phrases;
(3) virtual reality (VR) simulation for hands-on learning; and
(4) a structured audit and feedback system to monitor skills.
Results: Post-intervention, EVD care knowledge accuracy rose from 77.2% to 97.7%, and operational skill accuracy from 75.8% to 97.4%. Staff reported higher engagement and confidence in performing EVD-related care.
Conclusion: This project effectively improved the accuracy and safety of EVD care, promoting high-quality nursing in the neurosurgical ICU. The model can guide similar quality improvement efforts in other high-risk clinical settings.
Description
Focus: Clinical
Status: Completed Work/Project
This project improved EVD care accuracy through gamified learning, mnemonic aids, VR simulation, and audits. Knowledge accuracy increased from 77.2% to 97.7%, and skill accuracy from 75.8% to 97.4%, demonstrating effective educational and system-based improvement.