Addressing Hemodialysis Nurse Cannulation Anxiety

Introduction: While existing literature primarily addresses patient cannulation anxiety, the anxiety experienced by hemodialysis (HD) nurses is frequently overlooked. HD nurse cannulation anxiety occurs when HD nurses experience nervousness prior to and during cannulation procedures. Enhancing understanding of this phenomenon can facilitate the identification of its causative factors and support the development of effective strategies to address this critical issue. Method: This commentary was informed by a comprehensive literature review and insights gathered from informal dialogue with nurses possessing 1 to 27 years of experience in HD. Results: Cannulation anxiety among HD nurses negatively impacts their mental well-being and performance, potentially resulting in adverse patient outcomes. Causative factors of HD nurse cannulation anxiety include deficiencies in training and education, patient cannulation anxiety, limited availability of arteriovenous accesses in the clinical setting, and socio-demographic factors specific to HD nurses. Strategies to address HD nurse cannulation anxiety include prioritizing ongoing cannulation training throughout HD nurses’ careers, the utilization of virtual reality-based cannulation training programs, enhancing HD nurses’ proficiency with point-of-care ultrasound machines, and the implementation of proactive measures to mitigate the impact of socio-demographic factors on the development of HD nurse cannulation anxiety. Conclusion: Given the severity of its implications, addressing HD nurse cannulation anxiety should be a top priority for dialysis centers globally. Mitigating HD nurse cannulation anxiety can lead to substantial improvements in the overall care of HD patients and greater utilization of arteriovenous accesses, thereby enhancing HD patients’ health outcomes.