Clinical assistants’ self-assessed confidence on practical procedures before and after working at Northampton General Hospital
| Clinical skill | Median self-assessed confidence before time as CA (range) | Median self-assessed confidence after time as CA (range) | Wilcoxon signed-rank test | Effect size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venepuncture | 3 (1–5) | 5 (3–5) | Z=5.35; p<0.001 | r=0.781 |
| Blood cultures | 3 (1–5) | 5 (1–5) | Z=4.99; p<0.001 | r=0.770 |
| ABGs | 2 (1–5) | 4 (1–5) | Z=5.16; p<0.001 | r=0.800 |
| VBGs | 3 (1–5) | 5 (1–5) | Z=5.08; p<0.001 | r=0.775 |
| Cannulas | 2 (1–5) | 4 (1–5) | Z=4.76; p<0.001 | r=0.726 |
| Catheters | 2 (1–5) | 3.5 (1–5) | Z=4.08; p<0.001 | r=0.681 |
Likert scale: 1 = ‘Not confident at all’, 5 = ‘Very confident’. ABGs = arterial blood gases; CA = clinical assistant; VBGs = venous blood gases.