Evaluation of nurse's knowledge of evidence based acute stroke

This study was conducted to evaluate the evidence-based acute stroke knowledge level in nurses. The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 245 nurses working in Farabi Hospital of Karadeniz Technical University Health Application and Research Center in Trabzon city center. The data are collected by using "Introductory Information Form" and "Acute Stroke Knowledge Level Measurement and Awareness Form" created within the scope of "T.R. Ministry of Health Stroke Clinical Protocol". The suitability of the data for normal distribution was evaluated with Shapiro Wilk and Kolmogorov Smirnov. One-way analysis of variance and independent samples t test to compare the data showing normal distribution, Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U test to compare data not showing normal distribution, and chi-square test in categorical data were used. The significance level was taken as p<0.05 in this study. 86.5% of the nurses participated in the study are female, the mean age is 32.19±7.76 (Min: 20, Max: 60), 64.9% are undergraduate and 93.1% are working in clinical/services. 16.3% of nurses have knowledge about stroke protocol. While 87.3% of the nurses responded to ischemic stroke triage correctly, 61.2% stated that they did not know the stroke scale used. 33.9% of the nurses responded to vital signs follow-up in patients receiving recanalization treatment, and 28.2% responded to follow-up neurological follow-up in patients receiving recanalization treatment correctly. There was a weak, statistically significant correlation between nurses' knowledge score and age (r=0.158; p=0.013). While the questions that the nurses answered most correctly were the questions related to nursing care in acute stroke, the lowest known questions were stroke scale, tPA dose and time management in stroke. Nurses following professional publications and participating in congresses, courses and symposium programs answered the questions more accurately. In-service training programs can be developed for nurses to increase their knowledge of acute stroke and quality patient care management, participation in scientific meetings can be provided and clinical practice guidelines for stroke care can be developed.