Determination of knowledge levels of physicians and nurses working in surgical clinics about nutrients and nutritional supplements

This research was conducted in order to identify the level of knowledge of physicians and nurses working in surgical clinics about nutrients and nutritional supplements. The research was conducted between 15 February and 31 May 2022, with a total of 410 people working in the surgical clinics of public, private and university hospitals that accepted the study, including 143 physicians and 267 nurses. The data was collected face-to-face with the form containing the diagnostic characteristics of physicians and nurses developed by the researcher and questions about nutrients and nutritional supplements. The data were evaluated using average, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, average, frequency and percentage in SPSS 26. Statistical significance level p<0.005 is assumed. The median of total success score of physicians and nurses who participated in the study for the nutrients and nutritional supplements were 3.20 (±4.10) over 100 points, the median success score for complications and side effects during the surgical period of nutrients and nutritional supplements was 7.06 over 33 points (±9.48), the median success score of pre-surgical discontinuation of nutrients and nutritional supplements was 0.21 over 16 points (±1.32), and the median success score for drug interactions between nutrients and nutritional supplements was 1.70 over 51 (±2.72). It has also been found that physicians and nurses' overall success scores for nutrients and nutritional supplements increased statistically significantly with increasing age and years of work (p=0,003 and p=0,015). The total success score of physicians and nurses who were trained in nutrients and nutritional supplements (median = 3.37) was statistically significantly higher than that of non-trained physicians and nurse (median = 1.75) (p<0,001). As a result, physicians and nurses working in surgical clinics found that the level of knowledge about nutrients and nutritional supplements was less than half or even close to zero. Therefore, it is recommended that complications and side effects associated with the use of nutrients and nutritional supplements during the surgical period are added to the licensed and in-service training of physicians and nurses to prevent drug interactions and ensure patient safety.