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Knowledge of patient observation among critical care nurses.
- Source :
- Nursing in Critical Care; Sep2021, Vol. 26 Issue 5, p341-351, 11p
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Background: The clinical observations made by critical care nurses are vital for maintaining patient safety and making appropriate decisions in the care of patients who are critically ill. Evaluating the reliability of observations and applying analytical thinking are essential elements of patient observation. Previous studies of critical care nurses' knowledge have focused either on specific aspects of patient observation or on critical care nursing in general; therefore, the findings are not comprehensive. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate critical care nurses' level of knowledge in patient observation and to explore the factors that are associated with it. Study design: A cross‐sectional knowledge test survey with critical care nurses in Finland was used. Methods: Data were collected in seven adult intensive care units in all five university hospitals in Finland between September 2017 and January 2018 by using a knowledge test (20 items) developed for this study. All critical care nurses were eligible to participate. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Altogether, 372 nurses responded (response rate 49%). Their average scores in the knowledge test were 77% (mean 15.29/20, SD 2.41) for correct answers, 75% (mean 8.2/11, SD 1.54) in the sum‐variable "Evaluating the reliability of observation" and 79% (mean 7.08, SD 1.45) for "Analytical thinking." A higher knowledge level was associated with education in special tasks in an intensive care unit. Conclusion: The critical care nurses' knowledge level was considered to be suboptimal. There is a need for improving knowledge of patient observation among Finnish critical care nurses to ensure safe and good quality care. Relevance to clinical practice: Finnish critical care nurses' knowledge of patient observation could be improved by providing specific continuing education for new nurses entering intensive care units and for experienced critical care nurses throughout their career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- CRITICAL care nurses
NURSING audit
NURSING psychology
RESEARCH
OCCUPATIONAL roles
KRUSKAL-Wallis Test
INFERENTIAL statistics
STATISTICS
INTENSIVE care nursing
ACADEMIC medical centers
RESEARCH evaluation
CROSS-sectional method
MEDICAL cooperation
MANN Whitney U Test
SURVEYS
NURSES
CLINICAL competence
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
QUESTIONNAIRES
DATA analysis software
STATISTICAL correlation
DATA analysis
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13621017
- Volume :
- 26
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Nursing in Critical Care
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 152166451
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/nicc.12573