Knowledge and practices of nurses on deep vein thrombosis risks and prophylaxis: A descriptive cross sectional study

The aim of the present study was to determine the knowledge and practices of deep vein thrombosis risks and prophylaxis among nurses and to investigate the relation between descriptive characteristics and knowledge and practices of nurses. This descriptive study was conducted with the registered nurses who currently work in a university hospital of Northern Cyprus. Total 165 voluntary nurses composed the sample of the study. A questionnaire prepared by the researchers on the basis of the literature was used as the data collection tool in this study. After having obtained the ethical approval, data were collected through the self-completion method in July 2017. Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 20.0, was used to analyze the collected data. Descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square tests were used in analysis of the data. The results of the study showed that nurses had a high level of general knowledge on deep vein thrombosis. However, they had inadequate knowledge on deep vein thrombosis risks, preventive measures, and poor practices with respect to the prevention of deep vein thrombosis. The study found statistically significant differences in terms of educational levels and experiences of the nurses with different items at risk factor, prevention, and practices on deep vein thrombosis. The study also demonstrated that the nurses with a bachelor's degree had more correct knowledge than the ones graduated from the health-care vocational high school; the nurses with 6-10 years of experience had, on the other hand, higher correct knowledge rates than other groups, in terms of some items. Based on the results of the study, implementation of comprehensive, systematic, and continuous educational programs to enhance the knowledge and practices of the nurses on deep vein thrombosis was recommended.