Nurses' Knowledge and Awareness of Post-Operative Wound Care for Open Heart Surgery Patients in North West- Bank Hospitals- Palestine, Cross-Sectional Study رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

Open heart surgical site infection (SSI) is a life-threatening complication after cardiac surgery that can lead to hospitalization, increased healthcare expenses, morbidity, and mortality. Preventing infections during open-heart surgery improves patient outcomes while saving millions of dollars. Nurses should be familiar with surgical site infection, including their classifications, risk factors, risk populations, signs and symptoms, antibiotic prophylaxis, preoperative skin preparations, postoperative surgical field care, infection management, and preventative measures. Nurses should defend their patients in all circumstances. The study aims to assess nurses' knowledge and awareness of post-operative wound care for open-heart surgery patients in Northwest- Bank hospitals- Palestine. A quantitative descriptive correlational cross-sectional study was conducted in the Surgical Cardiac Care Unite departments of five hospitals in the North West Bank. A total of 87 Surgical Cardiac Care unit nurses participated in the study. Data were collected using a self administered questionnaire to evaluate nurses' knowledge (22 questions) and awareness (17 points) of post-operative wound care. According to the findings, nurses had a high level of knowledge (83.39%), but only a moderate level of awareness (70.48%). Significant differences in knowledge and awareness were noted according to age, gender, marital status, level of education, and experience, among other demographic and professional variables. While awareness was less consistently impacted, training and the availability of explicit protocols were linked to better knowledge levels. The results highlight the value of specialized education, real-world experience, and encouraging work settings in improving nursing practices. Nurses in North West Bank hospitals possess strong foundational knowledge but demonstrate varying levels of awareness regarding post-operative wound care for open-heart surgery patients. Continuous education, specialized training, and the development of clear, evidence based protocols are essential to enhance knowledge and awareness, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing the incidence of surgical site infection in the region.