PB0585 - Assessing the Impact of a Venous Thromboembolism Awareness and Risk Assessment Training Program for Nurses: A Case Study from the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a preventable ‘silent killer,’ affects 60% of hospitalized patients. Guidelines recommend VTE risk assessment and thromboprophylaxis for at-risk hospitalized patients Nurses are integral to these preventative measures, through patient education, evaluating VTE risk, and prophylaxis.

Aims: Implementing a hospital-wide training program for nurses on VTE awareness , risk assessment, and evaluating its impact

Methods: The VTE SZ Committee at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu, Nigeria conducted a three-day training on VTE and RA tools for 750 nurses. An initial audit was done before and six months post-training to evaluate its impact. This evaluation was done using a pre-tested VTE RA audit tool that measured the % RA utilization and %appropriate VTE prophylaxis use for patients at risk. The benchmark scores were: > 95% excellent, 95–80%, acceptable, and < 80%, not acceptable.

Results: Before the training, only 6 out of 19 adult wards (32%) conducted regular VTE RA for hospitalized patients. Six months after the training, there was an increase of 131% in the number of wards (14 wards) conducting VTE RA, Despite this improvement, the median %utilization of 62% was still below the acceptable benchmark. The highest and lowest %RA utilization before the training was in the Female Surgical Ward (65%), and the Post-natal Ward (2%) respectively. After the training, the highest and lowest were the General Surgical Ward (72%), and the Labor Ward (52%) respectively. There was also a 100% improvement in the number of at-risk patients who received appropriate VTE prophylaxis.

Conclusion(s): The education and training of nurses on VTE and VTE-RA increased the number of hospitalized patients who were risk-assessed and those who received appropriate anticoagulation prophylaxis. This suggests that a comprehensive, structured training and education program on VTE and VTE risk assessment for nurses can be a crucial strategy for preventing VTE.