Browsing by Author "Kiewiet, Jean"

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    Professional nurses' knowledge and clinical practice regarding patients with a traumatic brain injury in a tertiary hospital
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-12) Kiewiet, Jean; Hector, Dawn; Damons, A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Nursing & Midwifery.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the main causes of disability and death worldwide. Even though the best chance of survival of patients with traumatic brain injuries will be in a neurocritical care unit, many patients with traumatic brain injuries are treated in nonspecialised critical care units. To date, minimal studies are available that report on professional nurses’ knowledge and clinical practices regarding caring of patients with traumatic brain injuries in South Africa. Aim and objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and clinical practice of professional nurses caring for patients with TBI in a critical care unit (CCU) within a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape of South Africa. The objectives for the study were to: - Determine the knowledge of professional nurses caring for patients with TBI in a CCU. - Investigate the clinical practice of professional nurses caring for patients with TBI in a CCU. Research methodology: A quantitative descriptive study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape. The target population included all critical care nurses (N=98). Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of Stellenbosch University (Reference: S17/07/120) and the tertiary hospital. Data was collected through a self-administering questionnaire and a pilot testing was conducted involving nine participants. The results from the pilot testing were excluded from the main study. Analysis was done with the assistance of a statistician from Medicine and Health Faculty of Stellenbosch University using Software for Statistics and Data Science (STATA) program. Results: A mean knowledge score percentage in CCU revealed 71% overall. Participants with a nursing degree were more knowledgeable than nurses with diploma and Masters/Honours degree. The knowledge score of nurses working in Neurocritical Care unit scored the highest percentage of 75% as total knowledge score and nurses within the Coronary Care unit had the lowest score of 66%. With regard to knowledge score of employment, it was evident that critical care nurses working for an agency have the highest knowledge score percentage of 75% compared to permanent staff of 71%. Only 17% of critical care nurses monitored End Tidal Carbon Dioxide (ETCO2) at all times in their unit. Knowledge of nurses regarding ETCO2 monitoring is limited in clinical practice. Clinical guidelines improve quality of care to decrease variations in clinical practices and 59.6% of critical care nurses stated that they had never come across guidelines and protocols with regard to the management of raised intracranial pressure in the critical care unit. Recommendations: Recommendations for this study include neurocritical care education, the amendments of protocols and guidelines, ETCO2 monitoring for all intubated patients, considering clinical competencies and rotation of critical care nurses. Conclusion: A better understanding of TBI may result from the study and assist mentors, educational and administration staff to promote quality care for TBI in critical care units. The focus should be on becoming better nurses, experts in caring for patients with TBI and the ability to make countless decisions in order to solve problems in clinical areas.