Experienced critical care nurses' ability to interpret pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) values : comparison of subjects using a teaching-learning packet and subjects not using a teaching packet

Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) represents important assessment data used to guide therapeutic decisions towards assisting individuals to physiologically adapt to alterations in fluid status. Proper interpretation of this parameter becomes complicated when respiratory excursions exist.

This study examined the ability of experienced critical care nurses to properly interpret PCWP when respiratory excursions exist. The study also included evaluation of a brief self-directed learning pamphlet to improve performance.

A posttest-only control group design was used to evaluate the effect of the educational pamphlet on nurses' knowledge of PCWP interpretation with respiratory excursions. These results were used to evaluate current knowledge base. Subjects not receiving the educational review (the control group) had a score of 51.5% which fell far short of an established criterion level of 89%, indicating a knowledge deficit. A significant difference (p .0001) was found between the control and the experimental group scores, indicating that the self-directed learning pamphlet significantly improved performance.