Gaps in Knowledge Related to Equipment use in Pediatric Intensive Care and High Dependency Units

Abstract

Medical equipment has an important role in pediatric critical care. Health care professionals need to maintain their competency which is in-turn needed to ensure patient safety and provide safe care. With increased burden on health care in PICU and HDU and due to lack of time to upgrade knowledge, nurses may have possible gap in knowledge related to equipment use in PICU and HDU. This non-experimental descriptive cross-sectional study has been conducted to identify gaps in the knowledge of nurses related to equipment use in pediatric critical care units in which 22 Nursing Officers working in 6 pediatric critical care and high dependency units of a tertiary care facility were enrolled using random sampling technique. Tools consisting of demographic datasheet and 27 items structured knowledge questionnaire were administered after taking written informed consent from the participants. The results showed that majority of the participants had poor knowledge related to equipment used in oxygenation therapy (86.4%), infusion therapy (90.9%), hemodynamic monitoring (100%) and resuscitation (50.0%). Overall equipment knowledge of the participants was poor related to equipment use in Pediatric Intensive Care and High Dependency Unit requiring periodic educational programs, in-service education and workshops.