Individual research recommendation details

Recommendation ID

NG29/4

Question

Training and education of healthcare professionals:- Does ensuring that all hospital healthcare professionals involved in prescribing and delivering IV fluids for children and young people are appropriately trained in the principles of fluid prescribing and IV fluid therapy-related complications lead to a reduction in IV fluid-related  complications and associated healthcare costs?

Any explanatory notes
(if applicable)

Why this is important:- Assessing patients' IV fluid needs, as well as prescribing and delivering IV fluids, are essential daily tasks on most paediatric wards. These are complex responsibilities that entail careful clinical assessment, good understanding of the physiology of fluid homeostasis both in health and disease, and appropriate supervision and training. There is currently no standard training provided for healthcare professionals working in the UK. Any teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level is currently delivered ad hoc, and in many cases may be limited. If fluid management in hospitalised children and young people is to improve, standardised training is likely to be needed. Any educational interventions made would need to be evaluated to assess whether practice had subsequently improved.

Source guidance details

Comes from guidance

Intravenous fluid therapy in children and young people in hospital

Number

NG29

Date issued

December 2015

Other details