Clinical implementation of the Validated Intraoperative Bleeding Scale: Perioperative patient management and effective team communication from the nurses' perspective.
Clare Sewell, Becky L Whiteman, Flavia C Morone Pinto and 1 others
PMID 39435992WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses reported that the VIBe Scale improved their understanding of bleeding severity and team communication.
Most felt it could enhance situational awareness, even if they had not witnessed its use in practice. This suggests the scale helps standardise language for perioperative blood loss management.
Key findings
0167% of participating nurses understood the use of the VIBe Scale, including those who did not attend the introductory lecture.
0264% of nurses reported that the VIBe Scale could improve communication, and 67% believed it could improve situational awareness.
03Calculating estimated blood volume loss triggers (10% and 20%) on the display board helped nurses monitor blood loss rates and enhanced team communication when triggers were met.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was a single-site quality improvement project, so results may not generalise to other hospitals or regions. The sample size was small (33 nurses). Data were self-reported via questionnaires, which may be subject to bias. A significant portion of participants (58%) did not attend the introductory lecture, which may affect the interpretation of how education impacts scale understanding. The study did not measure actual patient outcomes, such as reduced blood transfusion rates or improved haemostasis, only nurses' perceptions.
Declared interests
One author (CS) received honoraria for presentations from Baxter Healthcare and Olympus Medical. Another author (BLW) is an employee of Baxter Healthcare. The authors declared that no payment was received specifically for this manuscript.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the VIBe Scale has been proven to improve patient outcomes like reduced transfusion rates or mortality. This study reports nurses' perceptions of improved communication and understanding, not clinical efficacy data.