Assessment of Knowledge and Practice of Blood Transfusion among Nurses in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Statement of the Problem: Most of the errors related to blood transfusion occur during its administration by primary handlers (nurses). This study aims at assessing awareness among nurses about blood transfusion. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: 25 questions related to theoretical and practical knowledge of blood transfusion were given to 546 consenting nurses working in a tertiary care hospital. Nurses were categorized depending on age, experience and departments. Inter-group statistical comparison of categorical variables was done using Chi-Square test and of continuous variables by independent sample t test and analysis of variance technique. Findings: Forty three percent of nurses worked in the ward, 39.6% in intensive care unit (ICU), 7.3% in operation theatre (OT), 3.7% in hematology-oncology ward, 2.6% in emergency room (ER) and 3.8% in other departments. 42.3% had less than 1 year of experience, 50.9% had between 1 to 5 years of experience and 6.8% had more than 5 years of experience. Nurses with 1-5 years of experience scored statistically better than nurses with <1 year and >5years of experience. Nurses working in the hematology-oncology ward scored the greatest number of correct responses, followed by nurses working in ICU. 9.9% of nurses answered >80% questions correctly. Conclusion & Significance: More nursing experience did not translate into more knowledge and safer practice. Nurses administering transfusion frequently had more knowledge. Nurses working in critical areas like operation theatre and emergency room did not fare well, probably because they are not directly responsible for administering blood. Repeated theoretical and practical training regarding safe transfusion practices is recommended.

Author(s): Suhrud Panchawagh

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