Nurses’ knowledge and practices regarding detaction and management of acute drug poisoning at Cairo University hospitals
Yahia El Sayed Ramadan Mohamed
Cairo University, Egypt
: Forensic Toxicol Pharmacol 2015, 4:3
Abstract
Detection and management of poisoning represents a basic emergency nursing competency. Nurse’s knowledge and practice play important roles in providing supportive care to decrease morbidity and mortality caused by poisonings. The study aimed to assess nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding detection and management of acute drug poisoning. A descriptive exploratory design was utilized. Two research questions were formulated: What is the nurses’ level of knowledge regarding detection and management of acute drug poisoning? and What is the nurses’ level of practice regarding detection and management of acute drug poisoning? The study is carried out at The National Center for Clinical and Environmental Toxicology affiliated to Cairo University Hospitals. A convenience sample of 30 nurses with a minimum one year of experience was utilized. Three tools were developed and utilized to collect data: Tool-1. Nurses' sociodemographic data sheet, tool-2; acute drug poisoning nurses' interview questionnaire and tool-3; acute drug poisoning nurses' practice observational checklist. All the studied sample (100%) had unsatisfactory knowledge and practice level (<75%) regarding detection and management of acute drug poisoning with a total mean knowledge and practice scores of (36.86±2.046 & 28.20±2.51) respectively. No significant correlations were found between age, years of experience, total knowledge scores and total practice scores. No significant statistical difference was found in the total mean practice scores in relation to socio- demographic characteristics. A high significant statistical difference was found in the mean practice scores in relation to qualifications.
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