Nursing Care and Barriers for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty Patients: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: To determine barriers to preventing venous thromboembolism in total knee and hip arthroplasty patients by surgical nurses. Methods: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach. The semi-structured interview questionnaire included two questions focused on nursing care practices for VTE prevention and barriers faced during VTE prophylaxis in total knee and hip arthroplasty patients. Study data were collected from 10 surgical nurses through semi-structured interviews in July 2021. Results: After analyzing the data, two main themes, five categories, and fourteen subcategories were developed. The main themes included “Nursing care” and “Barriers.” Two categories were reflected in terms of nursing care: general care and mechanical prophylaxis. Regarding barriers, the analysis of the interview reflected three main categories: “lack of professional competence”, “work conditions challenges”, and “resistance from patients”. Conclusion: Educational institutions must play a critical role in preparing surgical nurses by establishing clinical nurse specialist programs and post-graduate diplomas programs that sufficiently prepare nurses for clinical settings. Keywords: venous thromboembolism, nursing care, barriers, surgical nurses