Nurses' knowledge on neonatal sepsis in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction: Early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis and appropriate management can prevent permanent disability and death. The knowledge of the nurses regarding sepsis and their ability to detect early cues and actions taken on suspicion of sepsis are of paramount importance in this respect. Objective: To assess knowledge regarding neonatal sepsis among nursing officers caring for neonates at Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital (SJGH). Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done recruiting nurses from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), post-natal wards, paediatric ward and the labour ward of SJGH. Data were collected through an interviewer administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS. Results: Eighty one nursing officers from the above mentioned units participated in the study. Of the nurses, 72.8% had an overall good knowledge on neonatal sepsis and the rest (27.2%) had a satisfactory knowledge. Ninety five percent of nurses had good or satisfactory knowledge about what neonatal sepsis meant. All participants knew bacteria as a causative organism of neonatal sepsis. Regarding the knowledge on risk factors, majority (80.2%) had a satisfactory or greater knowledge, while the knowledge was unsatisfactory in 19.8%. Of the nurses, 85.5% knew what actions to take upon identification of neonatal sepsis. All the nurses with a working experience less than 1 year, 87.5% of BSc degree holding nurses and 71.2% of nurses with NTS training had a good knowledge. Conclusions: Seventy three percent of the nurses had an overall good knowledge on neonatal sepsis and the rest had a satisfactory knowledge. Knowledge deficiencies were identified regarding risk factors of neonatal sepsis, initial action upon identification of sepsis and the cues in identifying sepsis. No significant association was found between the knowledge on neonatal sepsis and the institute of training or duration of exposure. However, some degree of association was tracked between the unit of work and knowledge on sepsis.