Critical Care Nurses’ Perception, Knowledge, and Practices of Enteral Nutrition

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess critical care nurses' perception, knowledge, and nursing practices regarding enteral nutrition. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with 187 nurse participants who worked in one of the eight medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs) from four hospitals in Korea. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Although critical care nurses' perception toward enteral nutrition was high, knowledge was relatively low. The overall perception and knowledge of the nurses did not differ significantly between medical ICU and surgical ICU nurses. Perception of their own knowledge, in particular, 'nutritional goal' was lower for medical ICU nurses compared to surgical ICU nurses. Nurses also had limited knowledge about the significance of enteral nutrition, confirmation of feeding tube location, and nutritional requirements for ICU patients. They inadequately performed the following: changing the feeding tube every 24 hours, inspecting nostrils daily, and adjusting feeding schedule if feeding was stopped. Conclusion: Our results indicate that ICU nurses need up-to-date information about enteral nutrition. Based on the improved perception and knowledge, nursing practice activities with regard to enteral nutrition should be emphasized to enable nurses to provide optimal nutrition for ICU patients.