Critical Care Nurses' Competency Regarding Early Prediction and Interpretation of Life-Threatening Dysrhythmias: Life – Saving Opportunity | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Health Care | ||||
| Article 24, Volume 11, Issue 4, December 2020, Page 428-443 PDF (629.39 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejhc.2020.133916 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
| Amina Hemida Salem | ||||
| Critical Care & Emergency Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alexandria | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Life-threatening dysrhythmia, especially the ventricular, is one of these conditions that if not predicted and treated promptly can cost a patient's life. Also, it remains one of the most common causes of sudden death in critically ill patients. Early prediction of life-threatening – dysrhythmias can be considered as a life–saving opportunity for critically ill patients (Maurice et al., 2017; Dinnah, 2018). Aims: aims of the current study were to assess the critical care nurses' competency (knowledge) towards early prediction and interpretation of life-threatening dysrhythmias and to identify the obstacles that prevent nurses from acquiring competency regarding the early prediction and interpretation of life-threatening dysrhythmias. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was recruited to conduct the study. Data was collected from a convenient sample of 100 nurses working in critical care settings at Main University Hospital. A self-reported three-part- questionnaire using a paper pencil was used to collect the data of this study. Results: the result of the current study showed that critical care nurses had a very low level of competency required for early prediction and interpretation of life-threatening dysrhythmias (75% of the participants failed to identify or determine the types of dysrhythmia). Moreover, nearly three fourth of nurses did not attend any educational training about dysrhythmias. Significant correlations were found between nurses’ competency, level of education, and nurses’ position in the critical care units [(most nurses who failed to answer all questions were diploma graduate (85.5) and (excellent knowledge score was significantly higher in staff nurses than other positions although their frequency was relatively low (MCp.001)]. However, there was no significant correlation existed between the level of nurses' competency and other variables such as age, sex marital status. Finally, four obstacles were identified preventing the acquiring of required competency. Conclusions: The present study concluded that critical care nurses have a drastic low level of knowledge concerning the competency of early prediction and interpretation of life-threatening dysrhythmias. Moreover, significant correlations were found between nurses' competency, level of education, and their position in critical care units. However, there was no significant correlation between the nurses' competency and other variables such as age, sex, and marital status more than three-quarters of the nurses did not attend any training related to dysrhythmia. Finally, four factors were identified by the nurses as obstacles for acquiring competency of early prediction and interpretation of life-threatening dysrhythmias. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Critical Care Nurses; Competency; Prediction; and Management of Life-Threatening Dysrhythmias | ||||
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