Impact of an Educational Program on Improving Nurses’ Management of Fever: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Background: Despite a public information campaign “To Break the Myth of Fever”, nurses continued to overtreat fever. This study hypothesized that the campaign lacked the detailed rationale essential to alter nurses’ attitudes and behaviors. Aim: To evaluate the effect of the educational program on nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to fever management. Design: A randomized experimental design using a time series analysis. Methods: A random sample of 58 medical/surgical nurses was evenly divided into an intervention and a control group. The intervention group received an educational program on fever and fever management. Both groups completed a pretest and four posttests using investigator-developed instruments: a questionnaire on knowledge and attitudes about fever management and a fever treatment checklist to audit charts. Results: The intervention group had markedly higher knowledge scores and reduced use of ice pillows at all four posttests, as well as lower use of antipyretics overall, except for the first posttest, despite no sustained change in attitude. Conclusions: An educational program for fever management can effectively improve clinical nurses’ knowledge and attitudes about fever management.