Nurses' knowledge toward nutritional management for patients with chronic renal failure in Al- Samawah city, Iraq

Aim: Objectives of the study were to assess nurses' knowledge towards nutritional management of chronic renal failure patients and to find the relationship between nurses' knowledge and sociodemographic status. Methodology: In this research, a descriptive design was used. In the study, 200 nurses working in dialysis units and dialysis services at Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in AL Samawah City, Iraq were included in the sample. In the study, data were collected between April and July 2022. The questionnaire used in the study consists of two parts: the first part includes sociodemographic information, and the second part includes questions to determine the nutritional knowledge of nurses in patients with chronic renal failure. Frequency distribution tables were created and evaluated for each question of the scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Independent Sample t-Test, number, percentage, mean, median, standard deviation and one-way ANOVA were used in the evaluation of the data. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to compile the data. Results: In the study, 54.5% of the nurse were between the ages of 20 – 24; female 66.5 % ; unmarried nurse 54% ; education level high school nursing 46.5%; working experience of 3-5 year 51.5%; number of courses 1-2‎ ‎ times 81.4%; time of courses‎ 1 week was found to be 76.7%. It was determined that most of the nurses (60.5%) had good knowledge. There was a statistically significant correlation between the nurses' knowledge and their degree of nursing education (p<0.01). Nurses with bachelor's degrees were more knowledgeable than their other colleagues. Result: It is recommended to carry out a training program for all nurses working with patients with chronic renal failure, to continue researches on the evaluation of the knowledge of nurses working in dialysis units, and to improve their knowledge by ensuring that nurses complete their undergraduate and graduate education.