Assessment of Nurses' Performance Regarding Care of Patients with Traumatic Head Injury During the Golden Hour

Abstract

Background:Traumatic head injury is any sort of injury to brain, skull or scalp, the treatment depending on the cause of head injury. The role of nurse is important to begin emergency treatment within the golden hour. Aim: This study was conducted to assess nurses' performance (knowledge, practice& attitude) for caring of patients with traumatic head injury during the golden hour.Design: A quantitative descriptive exploratory research design was used. Setting: The study was conducted at the emergency department in EL -Demerdash Hospital affiliated to Ain Shams University. Study subject: A convenience sample of all available (30) nurses working in the previously mentioned setting. Tools: three tools were used including:-I-Self-administered questionnaire. II-Nurses’ performance observational checklist.III-Nurses’ attitude Likert scale.Results: 53.3% of studied nurses had unsatisfactory level of total knowledge regarding care of patients with traumatic head injury during the golden hour, and 56.7% of studied nurses had unsatisfactory level of total practice regarding care of patients with traumatic head injury during the golden hour. Conclusion:More than half of the studied nurses had unsatisfactory knowledge with statistical significance difference regarding care of patients with traumatic head injury during the golden hour, more than half of nurses had unsatisfactory practice with high statistical significanceand there was a highly statistically significant relation between studied nurses’ knowledge and their attitude. Also, there was a statistically significant relation between nurses’ total practice and their attitude. Recommendations: Further research are recommended to study new approaches in the area of management of patients with traumatic head injury during the golden hour, and evaluate its reflection on patient’s outcomes.