A Study on the Skills and Effectiveness of an Innovative Infant Heel Venipuncture Model Among Second-Year Nursing Students at Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Songkhla

Abstract

Heel-stick blood sampling in infants is a critical procedure for metabolic disease screening and requires accuracy and gentle handling due to the high fragility of newborns. Practitioners must possess adequate knowledge, precise skills, and prioritize safety. The objectives of this study were: (1) to examine the skills and effectiveness of an innovative infant heel-stick training manikin among second-year nursing students; (2) to compare students’ heel-stick skills using the innovation with an 80% performance criterion; and (3) to compare the effectiveness of the manikin with the criterion of a mean score of “good” or above (>3.50). This quasi-experimental study involved 45 second-year nursing students. Research instruments included: (1) an infant heel-stick training manikin; (2) a questionnaire assessing the effectiveness of the innovation; and (3) a behavioral skill assessment form for heel-stick blood sampling in infants. The questionnaire’s item–objective congruence (IOC) ranged from 0.67 to 1.00, and the Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients were 0.77 and 0.96, respectively. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages, and one-sample t-tests. Results showed that: 1) The mean post-test heel-stick skill score, after using the innovative manikin, was significantly higher than the criterion at the 0.001 level. 2) The mean effectiveness score of the manikin was at a good level or higher (M= 4.26, SD = 0.71), with statistical significance at the 0.001 level. The results indicate that the innovative infant heel-stick training manikin can be effectively applied in teaching pediatric and adolescent nursing in both laboratory and clinical practice settings.