Oncology nurses' knowledge about central line catheter: Caring, complications, and applications among cancer patients-A cross-sectional study

The aim of the present study was to assess the oncology nurses' knowledge about central line catheters and their care, complications, and applications. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. A sample of 150 nurses from oncology units participated. A knowledge-based test consisting of 50 multiple choice questions was used to test the nurses' knowledge level. The results showed that overall satisfactory level of nurses' knowledge was 50% (75 nurses). The results indicated that there was a significant difference in the nurses' knowledge according to their academic qualification level (χ2 = 7.256; P = .03). In addition, the results showed that there was a significant difference in nurses' knowledge about central line catheters and their care, complications, and applications according to their experience length (χ2 = 17.321; P = .000). Expert nurses were more knowledgeable compared with nurses with less experience. Based on these results, continuing education through conducting educational programs is recommended to keep the nurses aware about recent evidence-based practices.