Nurses, knowledge and practice regarding patients with implantable cardiac devices

Abstract

Abstract Background:Patients undergoing permanent implantedcardiac devices, challenge with multiple physical,psychological and social problems. Nurses have a unique role providing care in hospitals, long-term health care, education and psychological support to these knowledge and practice regardingpatients with implantable cardiac devices.Research , patients.Aim: To assess critical care nurses knowledge level regarding , design:A descriptive exploratory design used the following research questions: (a) what is the nurses implantable cardiac devices? (b) How do nurses manage patients with implantable cardiac devices? Setting: A selected critical and coronary care units at Ain sham specialized hospital. Sample: A convenience sample of 40 nurses with a minimum 1 year of experience was included in the study. Tools for data collection: Tool 1: background data that included gender, age, education level, practice when caring for patients who are being fitted , area of work and years of experience. Tool 2: questionnaire to assess nurses practice when caring for , withimplantable cardiac devices. Tool 3: implantable cardiac devices observational checklist to assess nurses patients who are being fitted with implantable cardiac devices Results: The current findings revealed that nurses have low knowledge and practice scores and no significant correlations existed between gender, age, years of experience, and their level of knowledge and practice, except negative correlation which existed between practice and years of experiences regarding implantable cardiac devices.Conclusion: Critical care nurses have inadequate knowledge and practice regarding implantable cardiac devices. Recommendations: Replication of this study on a larger probability sample from the different geographical locations of the Arab Republic of Egypt and further research to explore why nurses do not have the knowledge or skills regarding implantable cardiac devices.