Clinical nurses’ knowledge and practice of venous thromboembolism risk assessment and prevention in South Korea: a cross-sectional survey

Nurses' knowledge and practice regarding venous-thromboembolism prevention in tertiary hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of venous thromboembolism is steadily increasing in developing nations including Ethiopia. Nurses play a vital role in the prevention of venous thromboembolism. However, the level of nurses' knowledge, practice, and associated factors in venous thromboembolism prevention is not well-known across Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess nurses' knowledge, practice, and associated factors regarding venous-thromboembolism prevention in tertiary Hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 339 randomly selected nurses working at tertiary hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 25. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe and test the association between selected variables.

RESULTS

Out of the total 339 participants, only (51.6%) and (45.4%) had adequate knowledge and practice towards venous thromboembolism prevention respectively. Attending in-service training (AOR=1.701, p = 0.044) was significantly associated with knowledge of VTE prevention. Educational level (AOR= 3.871, P = 0.048), work experience (AOR=5.207, P<0.001), work location (AOR= 0.507, P = 0.019), working department (AOR= 2.959, P = 0.048), knowledge level (AOR= 0.477, P=0.005) were significantly associated with better preventive practice.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that nurses' level of knowledge and practice towards venous thromboembolism prevention was inadequate. Nurses' educational level, attending in-service training, work experience, work location, and working department were determinant factors associated with nurses' knowledge and practice towards venous thromboembolism prevention. Therefore, upgrading nurses' educational level and providing in-service training on venous thromboembolism prevention is crucial for positive patient outcomes.

Knowledge of deep vein thrombosis among nursing interns: A cross-sectional study

AIM

The aims of this study were: (1) to validate whether the Knowledge and Practices of Nurses on Deep Vein Thrombosis Risks and Prophylaxis Knowledge (KPNDVT-K) subscale could effectively measure the level of DVT knowledge of nursing interns; (2) to determine the level of DVT knowledge of nursing interns; and (3) to analyse the factors affecting the level of DVT knowledge of nursing interns.

BACKGROUND

The effective prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients requires nursing staff to have a solid knowledge base of DVT. The level of knowledge about DVT among nursing interns ultimately affects their ability to play an important role in DVT prevention as a qualified nurse. To improve DVT prevention, the current level of knowledge needs to be explored.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

Basic information was collected from the nursing interns. The KPNDVT-K subscale was used to assess the level of knowledge of DVT among nursing interns.

RESULTS

The KPNDVT-K subscale was used to measure the DVT knowledge of nursing interns with good reliability and validity (difficulty p=0.304-0.426; differentiation D=0.422-0.540; Cronbach's alpha =0.724-0.950; R=0.766). The passing rate for the nursing interns' DVT knowledge was 75.1%, which was in the middle level. Sex (β=-1.471, P=0.007), Home location (β=-0.627, P=0.014), Understanding of channels (hospital teachers) (β=0.688, P=0.008), Internship (β=-1.625, P=0.035; β=-1.435, P=0.038) were the main influences on nursing interns' knowledge of DVT.

CONCLUSIONS

The KPNDVT-K subscale has high applicability in the measurement of DVT knowledge of nursing interns. The knowledge of DVT among nursing interns was satisfactory and the knowledge related to DVT preventive measures was good. Nursing educators should take active measures in both schools and hospitals to improve the DVT knowledge of nursing interns to reduce the occurrence of DVT in patients.

Nursing diagnosis proposal "Impaired Peripheral Venous Return": concept formation

OBJECTIVES

to develop a nursing diagnosis proposal focused on venous return.

METHODS

this is a concept analysis according to the model proposed by Walker and Avant, which is operationalized through an integrative review. The study was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol recommendations.

RESULTS

the analysis of the 131 studies allowed identifying attributes, antecedents and consequences. The most common attribute was decreased venous flow. The antecedents most frequently found were structural and/or functional valve deficiency, advanced age and peripheral venous thrombosis. The most common consequences were peripheral edema, venous ulcer and pain in the extremity.

CONCLUSIONS

the formulated nursing diagnosis was proposed as part of Domain 4, Activity/rest, in Class 4, Cardiovascular/pulmonary responses, with eight defining characteristics, five related factors, six at-risk populations and four associated conditions.

Knowledge, risk assessment, practices, self-efficacy, attitudes, and behaviour's towards venous thromboembolism among nurses: A systematic review

AIM

This study reviewed the literature on nurses' knowledge, risk assessment practices, self-efficacy, attitudes, and behaviours towards venous thromboembolism (VTE).

DESIGN

A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.

METHODS

CINAHL (via EBSCO), MEDLINE (via PubMed), and Web of Science were electronic databases used to find studies published from 2010 to November 2020 in English language. A Hoy critical appraisal checklist was used to assess the risk of bias and methodologic quality.

RESULTS

This study included fourteen studies conducted on 8628 Registered Nurses. Nine of the fourteen studies examined nurses' general knowledge level regarding VTE, and five showed that most nurses had a good knowledge of VTE. Of the 14 studies, six assessed nurses' risk assessment knowledge regarding VTE, and three showed that nurses had low knowledge of VTE risk assessment. Eleven studies assessed nurses' practices concerning VTE prophylaxis; 5 of the 11 studies reported that nurses had poor and unsatisfactory levels of VTE practice. Three of the 14 studies showed that nurses had low self-efficacy and varied beliefs. The most frequent recommendations were to create continuous educational programs and in-service training programs (n = 11), followed by creating institutional protocols standardizing VTE (n = 6).

CONCLUSIONS

Comprehensive educational programs and campaigns based on well-established and standardized tools should be provided to nurses to improve their VTE knowledge.

Ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward venous thromboembolic prevention: a dual-center cross-sectional survey

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a severe preventable complication among ophthalmic surgical patients. The knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of nurses play a key role in effective VTE prevention. However, little is known about the KAP of ophthalmic nurses' VTE prevention. This study aimed to examine the level of KAP toward VTE prevention among Chinese ophthalmic nurses and to investigate the influencing factors of their VTE practice.

Methods

A total of 610 ophthalmic nurses from 17 cities in Hunan and Zhejiang Provinces, China, participated in this study. Data was collected via the Sojump online platform from March to April 2021. A self-administered VTE questionnaire was developed to assess nurses' KAP toward VTE prevention. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of ophthalmic nurses' VTE prevention practice.

Results

The scores (correct rates) of ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice were 103.87 ± 20.50 (76.4%), 21.96 ± 2.72, and 48.96 ± 11.23 (81.6%), respectively. The three lowest-scored knowledge items were related to VTE complications, physical prevention, and risk assessment. The three lowest-scored attitude items were related to nurses' training, VTE risk, and patient education. The three lowest-scored practice items were related to the assessment scale, VTE assessment, and patient education. Nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice were significantly correlated with each other. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that Hunan Province (B = 2.77, p = 0.006), general hospital (B = 2.97, p = 0.009), outpatient department (B = 3.93, p = 0.021), inpatient department (B = 2.50, p = 0.001), previous VTE prevention training (B = 3.46, p < 0.001), VTE prevention management in hospital (B = 4.93, p < 0.001), better knowledge (B = 0.04, p = 0.038), and positive attitude towards VTE prevention (B = 1.35, p < 0.001) were all significantly and positively associated with higher practice scores in VTE prevention.

Conclusions

Our study provided a comprehensive understanding of the ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice in VTE prevention, as well as identified specific items in each dimension for improvement. In addition, our study showed multiple factors were associated with ophthalmic nurses' practice in VTE prevention, including environmental factors, training and management, knowledge and attitudes toward VTE prevention. Our findings provide important implications and guidance for future intervention programs to improve the ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice in VTE prevention.

The Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Korean Patients with Breast Cancer: A Single-Center Experience

The relationship between cancer and venous thromboembolism (VTE) has long been described. The risk of VTE in Asian patients with breast cancer remains largely unknown. This study described the incidence and risk factors of VTE in Korean patients with breast cancer. Data were collected from a retrospective database of patients who underwent breast cancer surgery between 2011 and 2020 at a single institution. The Cox proportional-hazards model was used to identify factors associated with VTE occurrences. Among the 2246 patients with breast cancer, 48 (2.1%) developed VTE during a median follow-up period of 53 months. The average incidence of VTE was 459 per 100,000 person-years. Age ≥ 60 years, male sex, chronic kidney disease, reconstructive procedures, and stage II or higher were independent predictive factors for VTE. VTE was associated with poor disease-free survival (hazard ratio (HR), 6.140; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.480-10.835), and overall survival (HR, 8.842; 95% CI 4.386-17.824). Most VTE events were manageable with anticoagulation; three (6.3%) patients died of VTE, despite intensive care. The incidence of VTE was significantly elevated in Korean patients with breast cancer. Since VTE has a negative effect on oncologic outcomes of breast cancer, clinicians should manage its risk throughout their lifetime.

Nursing Care and Barriers for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty Patients: A Qualitative Study

Purpose

To determine barriers to preventing venous thromboembolism in total knee and hip arthroplasty patients by surgical nurses.

Methods

This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach. The semi-structured interview questionnaire included two questions focused on nursing care practices for VTE prevention and barriers faced during VTE prophylaxis in total knee and hip arthroplasty patients. Study data were collected from 10 surgical nurses through semi-structured interviews in July 2021.

Results

After analyzing the data, two main themes, five categories, and fourteen subcategories were developed. The main themes included "Nursing care" and "Barriers." Two categories were reflected in terms of nursing care: general care and mechanical prophylaxis. Regarding barriers, the analysis of the interview reflected three main categories: "lack of professional competence", "work conditions challenges", and "resistance from patients".

Conclusion

Educational institutions must play a critical role in preparing surgical nurses by establishing clinical nurse specialist programs and post-graduate diplomas programs that sufficiently prepare nurses for clinical settings.

Compliance of non-pharmacological preventive practice of venous thromboembolism among Jordanian nurses

Many practices, such as non-pharmacological preventive practices, have demonstrated significant improvement and reduced the venous thromboembolism incidence. This study aims at investigating the compliance with non-pharmacological preventive practice of venous thromboembolism guidelines among Jordanian intensive care and medical and surgical nurses. Descriptive and cross-sectional with the non-participant observational design was used. This study recruited 271 registered nurses in adult medical-surgical units and intensive care units of 12 different government hospitals in Jordan's middle and north regions. The observational checklist included 10 preventive practices based on the non-pharmacological preventive of venous thromboembolism guidelines. In the observational checklist, the highest score was 20, and the lowest was 0. If the nurse received equal to or higher than (>14) score were classified as sufficient compliance, while insufficient compliance was (≤14) score. The observations period started from September 2019 until March 2020. The participants' overall mean venous thromboembolism compliance score was insufficient compliance (10.6 ± 1.6). The majority of nurses were classified as insufficient compliance 67%. "Doing foot exercise and early ambulation 2 times per day 50.3%" and "checked the integrity of the patient's skin at regular intervals 50.0%" were the highest practices done rightly and completely by half of the participants. The participants who had a bachelor of nursing degree, staff nurse, and works in the intensive care unit, are less experienced and have no previous venous thromboembolism education reported low venous thromboembolism compliance. This study presents expanded compliance regarding venous thromboembolism preventive practices among Jordanian intensive care and medical & surgical nurses, so the policymakers need to develop an initiative to improve nurses' compliance.

Intensive care nurses' knowledge and use of a nursing checklist: A cross-sectional survey

AIM

This descriptive study was conducted to determine the awareness of nurses working in intensive care units about the daily patient checklist.

BACKGROUND

Checklists are used in the daily follow-up and evaluation of patients admitted to the intensive care unit.

METHOD

The research was carried out with 180 nurses through the social media account of the Turkish Intensive Care Specialists Association Nurse Commission between July 2021 and March 2022. Data were collected with a descriptive information form and intensive care unit daily patient checklist. Necessary permissions were obtained before the study.

RESULTS

Among nurses, 45.0% of them got 15 full points from the Checklist. Moreover, 81.1% of the nurses stated that they knew that a checklist should be used to help eliminate the deficiencies of daily care and treatment in the intensive care unit, while 66.7% stated that they used a checklist. It was determined that nurses knew the most about parameters 'Check the daily infection parameters', 'Glycaemic control', 'Therapy', and the least about parameters 'Thromboprophylaxis', 'Ulcer prevention', 'Hypo-hyper delirium' and 'Use a daily checklist'.

CONCLUSION

It was determined that the level of awareness of intensive care unit nurses about some parameters that should be followed daily for patient care was low.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Checklists can be used as a guide for health care professionals in the routine daily evaluation of intensive care unit patients. It is thought that these reminder abbreviations will provide efficiency in preventing the disruption of applications, reducing medical errors, reducing mortality and morbidity, and cost.

Nurses’ Knowledge, Perceived Practice, and their Associated Factors regarding Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) Prevention in Amhara Region Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

Deep venous thrombosis is a preventable and treatable cause of death among hospitalized patients. Nurses' knowledge and proper assessment can play a major role in improving deep venous thrombosis prevention care.

Objective

To assess the knowledge, practice, and associated factors towards deep venous thrombosis prevention among nurses working at Amhara region hospitals.

Methods

Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses working at Amhara region comprehensive specialized hospitals, Northwest, Ethiopia, from April 1 to 30, 2021. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 423 samples. A structured pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered in epi-info version 7, analyzed using SPSS version 25, and presented by frequencies, percentages, and tables. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was computed, and P value < 0.05 was considered to identify statistically significant factors.

Result

Good knowledge and practice of nurses towards DVT prevention were 55.6% and 48.8%, respectively. Working at the medical ward [AOR 3.175, 95% CI (1.42, 7.11)], having a BSc degree [AOR = 3.248(1.245, 8.469)], Master's degree [AOR = 3.48, 95% CI (1.22, 9.89)], obtaining a formal training about deep venous thrombosis [AOR = 1.59; 95% CI (1.03, 2.47)], and working experience of ≥11 years [AOR = 2.11; 95% CI (1.07, 4.16)] were associated with good knowledge of nurses on the prevention of deep venous thrombosis. While having good knowledge about deep venous prevention AOR = 1.75; 95% CI (1.15, 2.65)] and working experience ≥11 years [AOR = 3.44; 95% CI (1.45, 8.13)] were significantly associated with nurses' practice about deep venous thrombosis prevention.

Conclusion

Knowledge and practice of the nurses regarding the prevention of deep venous thrombosis were found to be inadequate. Therefore, providing training, creating a conducive environment for sharing of experience, and upgrading the academic status of nurses are measures to scale up the knowledge and practice of nurses regarding deep venous thrombosis prevention.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding venous thromboembolism prophylaxis: A survey of medical staff at a tertiary hospital in China

To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis among medical staff at a tertiary hospital in China.A self-administered web-based survey was completed by medical staff, and data about respondent knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding VTE prophylaxis were gathered and analyzed with chi-square tests, using a 95% significance level.Of the 2079 medical staff invited to participate in the survey, a total of 2042 (including 921 clinicians and 1121 nurses) responded. The overall rate of correct responses to knowledge items was 57.6%; the rate was 60.1% for clinicians and 55.4% for nurses (P < .001). The median affirmative ("strongly agree"/"agree") rate for attitude items was 99.0% (range, 83.2%-99.4%). Medical staff members were most commonly concerned about the possibility of a financial penalty when a patient could not be treated with VTE prophylaxis (49.4%). Low levels of knowledge and participation of medical staff were identified most commonly as difficulties involved in VTE prophylaxis (48.5%). The median affirmative response rate for practice items was 58.2% (range, 51.1%-68.3%). All affirmative response rates for practice items were significantly higher for nurses than for clinicians (all P < .001).Although the overall attitude toward VTE prophylaxis was positive, the knowledge level was poor, especially among nurses, and the rate of affirmative responses regarding practices was low, especially among clinicians. Medical institutions should improve staff training regarding VTE prophylaxis, and medical staff should be encouraged to actively engage in VTE prophylaxis.

Chinese orthopaedic nurses' knowledge, attitude and venous thromboembolic prophylactic practices: A multicentric cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism is a severe preventable complication among orthopaedic surgical patients. Integrating therapeutic guidelines into clinical practice can help improve patient safety and reduce the burden of this pathology. Improving the quality of patient care is important for bridging the gap between the prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism and therapeutic guidelines.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed at evaluating the knowledge, attitude, and venous thromboembolism and prophylaxis practices of Chinese orthopaedic nurses to guide quality care improvements.

METHODS

The data used in this study are secondary data obtained from a multicentric survey. An anonymous questionnaire was used to measure the attitude and knowledge of venous thromboembolic prophylaxis among orthopaedic nurses. VTE prophylactic practices were extracted from medical records within the electronic case report form immediately after the nurses' investigations. The STROBE statement for observational studies was applied.

RESULTS

Results indicated that although 94.0% of the responding nurses had attended training courses in their wards, a majority of them (68.9%) achieved a median knowledge score of 7 points or below (range 0-9). Knowledge regarding the proper use of prophylaxis, identification of risk factors, signs and symptoms for pulmonary embolism was limited. Self-reported attitudes underestimate the relationships between venous thromboembolism and low-quality nursing care. Pharmacological prophylaxis was highly used (90.9%), while the utilisation of mechanical prophylaxis and its proper use was relatively low.

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese orthopaedic nurses demonstrated enthusiasm for venous thromboembolism and prophylaxis. Their knowledge needs to be improved, including the proper use of prophylaxis, identification of risk factors, signs and symptoms. Mechanical prophylaxis practice for VTE prevention after THA and TKA surgical procedures is not optimistic. Further studies should analyse the causes from multiple perspectives, including the availability of resources, the knowledge and attitude of doctors, nurses and patients.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The findings from this study can be used to develop and implement interventions for venous thromboembolism after orthopaedic surgery.

Knowledge, Behaviors, and Attitudes Regarding Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis: A Survey of Clinicians at a Tertiary Hospital of China

BACKGROUND

In this study, we sought to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis among clinicians at a tertiary hospital of China.

METHODS

An electronic questionnaire was sent to clinicians to gather information regarding demographic data (5 items), knowledge about VTE prophylaxis (21 items), behaviors regarding VTE prophylaxis (8 items), and attitudes regarding VTE prophylaxis (7 items). Answers of "strongly agree" and "agree" on the behaviors and attitude items were defined as affirmative responses. Clinicians were also asked to provide suggestions regarding VTE prophylaxis.

RESULTS

A total of 867 clinicians were included in this study. The overall correct response rate for knowledge items was 60.9%. The median affirmative response rate for behavior items was 48.6% (range 29.5-80.3%), and the median affirmative response rate for attitude items was 98.7% (range 96.9-99.3%). Clinicians were most concerned about the adverse effects triggered by chemical VTE prophylaxis (79.5%) and possibility of a financial penalty when a patient could not be treated with VTE prophylaxis (72.3%). Low patient compliance and low level of clinician knowledge and participation were identified most commonly as difficulties involved in VTE prophylaxis. A total of 78 suggestions were collected; these suggestions generally focused on improving the quality and frequency of staff training (n = 24) and enhancing learning opportunities (n = 22).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the clinicians' overall attitude toward VTE prophylaxis was positive, the knowledge level was relatively poor, and the rate of affirmative responses regarding behaviors was low. Medical institutions should improve clinician training regarding VTE prophylaxis.

Nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward venous thromboembolism prophylaxis: How to do better

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the cognition of nurses on the control and treatment of venous thromboembolism in China, thereby providing suitable countermeasures for clinical venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and treatment.

METHODS

In December 2019, a total of 1121 registered nurses from a university-affiliated hospital were selected to answer the self-designed and electronic questionnaire (Wenquanxing: www.wjx.cn/), which was designed to evaluate the nurses' knowledge (21 items), attitudes (6 items), and behaviors (9 items) toward venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted for data analysis.

RESULTS

Of the included 1121 nurses, only 55.43% nurses selected 100% correct answer. The influencing factors of knowledge included the department, education, professional ranks, and venous thromboembolism nursing experience. The nurses from ICU department gained the highest score, but the nurses from pediatrics department obtained the lowest score. The nurses with higher education level and professional ranks, and nursing experiences achieved higher scores. The total positive response rate for the attitude-related items was 68.54%. Nurses were primarily concerned about the financial penalty due to the inability to complete the work (49.0%). An increasing workload is the second primary concern of nurses (40.8%). The increasing medical cost, extension of hospital stay, and exacerbation of doctor-patient conflicts were the most serious difficulties involved in venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. The total correct score rate for the behaviors was 56.19%. Nearly half of the nurses could not offer advice for venous thromboembolism patients. The nursing experience, department, and years of work were related to the scores of knowledge-related items (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The overall knowledge level of the nurses was not optimistic. Although their general attitude toward venous thromboembolism prophylaxis was positive, their behaviors were influenced by many factors. Administrators should, therefore, make countermeasures to deal with these problems.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of healthcare professionals toward clinically applying graduated compression stockings: results of a Chinese web-based survey

This study had three objectives: (1) to investigate healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitude, and practice toward clinically applying graduated compression stockings, (2) to analyze the influencing factors, and (3) to provide data to support departments that develop health policies. A self-administered web-based survey was completed by 1,444 healthcare professionals, including physicians and nurses from 15tertiary hospitals and four secondary hospitals from 10 provinces in China. Reliability analysis and exploratory factor analysis were used to evaluate the researcher-designed questionnaire’s reliability and validity. The formal questionnaire, which included demographic data (eight items), knowledge (ten items), attitudes (four items), and clinical practice patterns (six items), was distributed among healthcare professionals. The relationships and mechanisms among the variables were explored using descriptive statistical analysis, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analysis. Of the 1,444 respondents, 31.2% had good knowledge of clinically applying graduated compression stockings, 83.5% had a positive attitude toward clinically applying them, and 30.4% of respondents exhibited normative behavior when applying them. The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that training was an important factor influencing the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward clinically applying graduated compression stockings. The healthcare professionals’ attitude toward clinically applying graduated compression stockings was positive, but the related knowledge was poor, and the code of behavior was deficient. Medical institutions should improve training for clinically applying graduated compression stockings among healthcare professionals and standardize the use of graduated compression stockings to facilitate the prevention of hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism.

Risk of venous thromboembolism and implementation of preventive measures

OBJECTIVE

To identify the frequency of risk factors for venous thromboembolism in hospitalized medical patients and the use preventive measures by healthcare professionals.

METHOD

A descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study including medical charts of 369 adult patients hospitalized in the Medical sector of a university hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, for at least 48h from 2015 to 2017. Sociodemographic data, clinical risk factors for venous thromboembolism, contraindication and implementation of chemical prophylaxis, and the occurrence of the disease were investigated. The use of preventive measures was calculated by following the guidelines of the Brazilian Society of Clinical Medicine and the risk of venous thromboembolism according to the Padua Prediction Score (high risk ≥ 4 and low risk < 4).

RESULTS

The prevalence of venous thromboembolism was 7.3% (n = 27). All patients had at least one risk factor for venous thromboembolism, the most prevalent being reduced mobility (74.2%), active cancer (70.7%), infection (27.1%), recent surgery (21.6%) and age ≥70 years (20.0%). Chemical prophylaxis was implemented in 70.3% of high-risk patients without contraindication and mechanical prophylaxis was applied in only one of the cases with an indication.

CONCLUSIONS

All patients had at least one risk factor for venous thromboembolism. However, there was a low rate of implementation of preventive measures by health care professionals. Therefore, there is a need for multiple interventions, including admission and permanent education of nurses regarding risk and prevention, warning systems and outcomes audit.

Nurses' objective knowledge regarding venous thromboembolism prophylaxis: A national survey study

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common vascular disorder with high mortality and morbidity. Clinical nurses are a pivotal group that can serve as first-line health care providers. Lack of knowledge about VTE is an important barrier to effective nursing performance. This study aimed to determine nurses' knowledge of VTE prophylaxis through a nationwide survey across China, to understand gaps between current knowledge, and guidelines, and to help improve clinical nursing.The survey included 5 topics with 68 items on VTE, including basic knowledge, risk assessment, basic prophylaxis, physical prophylaxis, and pharmacological prophylaxis.The survey was distributed to 106 AAA-grade hospitals throughout China; 5218 valid questionnaires were submitted for analysis. There were 5097 women and 121 men respondents, with average age 30.29 ± 8.60 years. The average rate of correct responses regarding VTE knowledge was 59.90 ± 15.63%; 77.81% of subjects answered more than half of the survey items correctly. Better knowledge about thromboprophylaxis was observed among nurses who were more highly educated, more experienced, had received continuing education, intensive care unit (ICU), and lead nurses. Correct response rates were 68.39 ± 17.03%, 60.35 ± 21.01%, 75.51 ± 22.85%, 41.72 ± 17.47%, and 46.01 ± 21.22% for basic knowledge, risk assessment, basic prophylaxis, physical prophylaxis, and pharmacological prophylaxis, respectively.Respondents showed satisfactory results regarding basic prophylaxis, basic knowledge, and risk assessment for VTE; respondents had poorer knowledge regarding physical and pharmacological prophylaxis. Better mastery of knowledge about thromboprophylaxis was observed among nurses who were more highly educated, more experienced, had received continuous education, ICU, and lead nurses.This study suggested that nurse trainers should develop comprehensive educational programs that focus on low correct rate aspects. Higher-level continuous education could improve nurses' knowledge of thromboprophylaxis.