KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF STAFF NURSES REGARDING PREVENTION OF POSTOPERATIVE SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS OF PATIENT UNDERGOING ABDOMINAL SURGERY AT SELECTED HOSPITALS, SIKKIM.

Abstract

The term abdominal surgery broadly covers surgical procedures that involve opening the abdomen. After abdominal surgeries, patients are at the risk of developing complications. The common postoperative complications after the abdominal surgery include pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis and surgical site infections. The aim of the present study was to assess knowledge and practice of staff nurses regarding prevention of postoperative surgical complications of patient undergone abdominal surgery. Adescriptive survey study was conducted in hospitals, of Gangtok, Sikkim. Data were collected using structured knowledge questionnaires and observational checklist from 60 staff nurses working in Surgical ICU and surgery ward selected by non-probability purposive sampling technique. The ndings revealed that majority of the staff nurses i.e out 60 staff nurses, 49(82%) had average knowledge and 11(18%) had good knowledge. Majority of staff nurses 44(73%) had good practice and 16(27%) had poor practice regarding prevention of postoperative surgical complications and also showed that there was a moderately positive correlation between knowledge and practice of staff nurses regarding prevention of postoperative surgical complications (r=0.2). Based on the ndings of the study, it can be concluded that in spite of having good practice level regarding prevention of postoperative surgical complications, staff nurses had average knowledge level. Knowledge and practice of the staff nurses in some certain area of prevention of postoperative surgical complications such as providing steam inhalation and chest physiotherapy, preventive measures for surgical site infection, assessment of pain in calf muscle, providing education to patient and family members need to be improved.