Nurses Knowledge Related to Enteral and Parenteral Nutritional Therapy for Unconscious Patients

Abstract

Background: Enteral nutrition is the preferred method of providing essential nutrients to unconscious patients with a functioning gastrointestinal tract. Nurses play a pivotal role in ensuring safe and effective delivery of enteral nutrition therapy support, encompassing a range of responsibilities before, during, and after feeding. Objectives: 1. Assess Nurses’ knowledge regarding unconscious patients’ nutrition. 2. Identify the demographical characteristics of studied population. 3. Find out the relations between knowledge of nurses and their demographical and employment characteristics. Methodology: A descriptive –cross sectional study design is the choice to study a specific phenomenon of interest regarding assessing nurses knowledge regarding enteral and parenteral nutritional therapy from period between (November 2022- July 2024). Non-probability convenient sample of (125) nurses who work in the intensive care units were selected. This study conducted in the intensive care units which located at three teaching hospitals in Al-Hilla city- Iraq. Results: The data reveals that the majority, at 55.2%, fall within the 20-30 year age range. Interestingly, the sex distribution is nearly equal with 52% males and 48% females. The result recorded high percentage fair level of nurses knowledge according to sum score.

Conclusion: Nurses demonstrate significant gaps in knowledge across various aspects of ENT, including indications, complications, and nutritional content.