Background: Although peripheral Intravenous (IV) cannulation is a routine procedure performed by nurses, IV access can be difficult to achieve, particularly in emergency patients who have critical illnesses. Ultrasound is used in this procedure to increase the success rate in novice practitioners.
Objective: We aimed to determine the first-attempt success rate of ultrasound-guided peripheral IV (USGPIV) performed by emergency nurses in simulation model after having undergone training in the procedure.
Materials and Methods: This was prospective descriptive study. The participants consisted of 61 emergency nurses at Srinagarind Hospital Emergency Department from January to April 2020. USGPIV cannulation training was provided by an emergency physician who is also a specialist in emergency ultrasound. After training, we calculated the number of attempts and time required to successfully complete USGPIV in a simulation model. Following this, participants responded to a questionnaire to evaluate their confidence in performing the procedure, as well as its feasibility and practical application. Data were analyzed using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and p<0.05 was considered to be significant.
Results: Sixty-one emergency nurses were included. The first-attempt success rate of USGPIV was 85.25% (95% CI 0.761, 0.944), and the mean time required was 47.33+4.89 sec. (95% CI 37.547, 57.103). Fifty-nine participants (96.72%) completed the questionnaire. All items had a mean score of greater than 3 points, with confidence score being the highest.
Conclusion: Emergency nurses with no previous experience with USGPIV were able to perform a simulated version of the procedure with a high first-attempt success rate after a short training session. Further studies should be conducted to evaluate nurses’ USGPIV competency in real patients.

Keywords: Ultrasound, Peripheral IV cannulation, Emergency medicine, Emergency nurse