Assessment of Competencies’ Level of Critical and Intensive Care Unites Nurses at King Abdulaziz Medical City and King Abdullah Specialized Children Hospital

Bothyna Zakaria Murshid

doi:10.11648/j.ajns.20211001.16

Abstract

Critical Care Nursing reflects a holistic approach in caring of patients, critical care nurses are registered nurses who are trained and skilled to practice critical care nursing for critically ill patients, she carries out independent interventions and collaborates patient care activities to address life-threatening situations that will meet patient’s physical, psychological, cultural and spiritual needs. The aim of the study was to explore competence levels of intensive care unit nurses and related socio demographic characteristics. Setting: the study was conducted at all Intensive and Critical Care Units, King Abdulaziz Medical City and King Abdullah Specialized Children Hospital. Sample: Representative convenient sample of 233 intensive and critical care unit nurses were included in the study. Tools: Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Competence Scale (ICCN- CS-1) was used for the purpose of the study, it is a self-assessment questionnaire consisting of two main basic competence; clinical competence and professional competence with a total of 140 items; each basic competence comprises four essential sub domains; knowledge, skills, attitude and value and experience base. Results of the study revealed that majority of the studied nurses has excellent total level of competency, with highest percent of the studied nurses who have good competency level related to knowledge base and there was a significant difference between total competency level of the studied nurses and their working unit and years of experience in the current Unit. Recommendation: Adding of more than one data collection method to avoid subjectivity of self-assessment scale results.

Highlights

Intensive care unit (ICU) and Critical care unit (CCU) considered as one of the most critically functioning operational environments in a hospital, patients admitted to these units may have an emergency admission with critical and life-threatening health status, following surgery, unexpected admission post-accident or be transferred from other wards because of unexpected deterioration in their health
Continuous assessment and monitoring are required for seriously ill patients who are usually admitted to ICUs and CCUs [15]
Patients admitted to ICU and CCU may need special equipment, instruments, machines, and apparatus in their room depending on their medical situation and American Journal of Nursing Science 2021; 10(1): 28-35 diagnosis, this required equipment may seem overwhelming [5]

Summary

Introduction

Intensive care unit (ICU) and Critical care unit (CCU) considered as one of the most critically functioning operational environments in a hospital, patients admitted to these units may have an emergency admission with critical and life-threatening health status, following surgery, unexpected admission post-accident or be transferred from other wards because of unexpected deterioration in their health. Nurses who are working in these units need sufficient knowledge, good skills, and special training to be able to provide care for critically ill patients [14]. Patients usually will be connected to machines such as mechanical ventilator to help them breathing or to monitor to assess their vital signs such as their blood pressure, heart, and respiratory rate or pulse oximetry to check their arterial blood oxygen saturation (Yoon, 2018). Working with these machines or equipment in such units is a complex combination of knowledge, skills, practice, attitudes, and values [15]

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