Blood Transfusion Knowledge among Nurses in Malaysia: A University Hospital Experience.

Md Asiful Islam,Mohammad Khan,Noor Hafiza Saad,Salfarina Iberahim,Rosnah Bahar,Shafini Mohamed Yusoff,Wan Suriana Wan Ab Rahman,Zefarina Zulkafli,Marini Ramli,Noor Haslina Mohd Noor,Mohd Nazri Hassan

doi:10.3390/ijerph182111194

Abstract

Blood transfusion is a fundamental and life-saving procedure where the consequence of errors can be fatal. Nurses’ knowledge plays an essential role in ensuring quality and safety in blood transfusion. The objective of this study was to assess blood transfusion-associated knowledge of tertiary hospital nurses on the east coast of Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional study with 200 registered nurses involved in blood transfusion procedures at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. The knowledge of the nurses was evaluated by using the routine blood transfusion knowledge questionnaire based on five parts, and <50%, 50–74%, or ≥75% of the knowledge was considered as poor, moderate, or high, respectively. Based on the scoring system, the overall knowledge of blood transfusion among Malaysian nurses (33.2 ± 8.4 years) was estimated to be 54.9 ± 7.6%. In individual items, the scoring was 81.0%, 45.4%, 49.2%, 63.0%, and 90.0% in knowledge prior to blood transfusion, on pre-transfusion, on post-transfusion, on complications, and on transfusion policy, respectively. The findings of this study indicated that most of the nurses’ overall knowledge of blood transfusion was at a moderate level; therefore, training courses and continuous medical education are warranted to improve knowledge and skills of the nurses to ensure good practices of blood transfusion.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affilBlood transfusion is a vital, life-saving process in patients with both acute and chronic conditions, aiming to replace lost components of the blood
Most of the nurses possessed a diploma (92.0%) with more than 5 years of working experience (68.5%); there was a lack of training experience related to blood transfusions in 92.5% of the participants
This study showed that nurses had a moderate level of overall blood transfusion knowledge (54.9% ± 7.6%)

Summary

Introduction

Blood transfusion is a vital, life-saving process in patients with both acute and chronic conditions, aiming to replace lost components of the blood. Millions of people all over the world undergo this process every year, and, generally, it is considered as safe, not beyond adverse effects including immunological complications, immunomodulation, or transfusion-transmitted infection [1]. Many human error-associated risks have been reported in blood transfusion processes, which comprise approximately 85% of the total preventable hazards [2]. Considering the risks associated with blood transfusion, there is a growing body of research on creating the optimal safety and care to the patients, where, apprising and improving nurses’ knowledge play a vital role. Blood transfusion is a nursing procedure and adequate knowledge plays a critical role in safe and sound practice.

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Conclusion