Clinical Assessment of Nursing Care Regarding Hemovigilance in Neonatal Wards and Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Selected Hospitals Affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (2013 - 2014)

BACKGROUND: Hemovigilance is a series of surveillance procedures encompassing the entire transfusion chain from the collection of blood and its components to the follow-up of its recipients. It is intended to collect and access information on unanticipated or adverse effects stemming from the therapeutic use of labile blood products. Blood transfusion, particularly in neonates, requires meticulous clinical assessment to ensure safety before, during, and after the procedure. Therefore, it is essential to investigate how nurses and other health care providers implement hemovigilance with a view to elevating the standards of care. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study, conducted between 2013 and 2014, was to assess nursing care regarding hemovigilance in the neonatal wards and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of selected hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive study assessed nursing care concerning hemovigilance in 144 neonates. Data were collected using a checklist at the neonatal wards and NICUs of Mahdiyeh, Mofid, and Imam Hussain hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The checklist contained information on the standard of care in relation to neonatal hemovigilance in three components of request, transfusion, and documentation. Descriptive statistics with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 21) were used to analyze the collected data. RESULTS: The rates of compliance with the hemovigilance guidelines in terms of request, transfusion, and documentation were 47%, 63.2%, and 68%, correspondingly, with a total score of 59.6% in all areas of research. Accordingly, compliance with hemovigilance guidelines was highest in documentation (68%), followed by transfusion (63.2%) and request (47%). CONCLUSIONS: The overall score of nursing care as regards adherence to the neonatal hemovigilance guidelines was 59.6% in the present study, indicating a lack of care and failure in training in this regard.