Enhancing Nurses' Competence in Spinal Cord Injury Management through Educational guidelines

Abstract

A spinal cord injury is a type of lesion to the spinal cord that can result in changes to its function, either permanently or temporarily. It produces long-term physical, psychological, and financial burden for patients. Nurses’ knowledge and practice has a substantial impact on patient outcomes. Aim of the study: To evaluate the effect of educational guidelines on enhancing nurses' competence in spinal cord injury management. Research Design: A quasi-experimental design was used to achieve the study aim. Study Settings: The study was applied in the neurological intensive care unit and neurology unit and neurology Outpatient Clinic at Sohag University Hospital. Subject: A convenient sample of (50) nurses was selected from the previously selected settings. Two tools for data collection: Tool I: Self-administered questionnaire; which included two parts; (1) Nurses’ demographic data and (2) Nurses’ knowledge regarding spinal cord injury, and Tool II: An observational checklist of nurses’ practices regarding spinal cord injury. Result: The current study revealed that there was a highly statistically significant difference in nurses’ knowledge and practice post- educational guidelines implementation compared to pre- educational guidelines implementation with (P= <0.05). Also, the study demonstrated that there was a highly statistically significant correlation between nurses’ knowledge and practice with (P= <0.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that educational guidelines implementation for nurses had a positive effect on guidelines on enhancing nurses' competence in spinal cord injury management with significant differences between pre and educational guidelines implementation. Recommendation: Develop a simplified illustrated and comprehensive Arabic booklet to be available for all nurses including the latest information about spinal cord injury, its therapeutic regimen, and how the patients can be managed and to improve their knowledge and practices.