Effect of Educational Nursing Guideline About Immobilization Complications Control on Nurses’ Knowledge and Safety Practice

Introduction: Prolonged immobility has multiple adverse effects on the major systems of the body which result in numerous deleterious consequences. Orthopedic nurses have an important role in actively preventing complications of immobility Aim: Determine the effect of implementation of educational guideline about immobilization complications control on nurses’ knowledge and safety practice. Research hypothesis: Nurses who receive the educational nursing guideline exhibit improved knowledge and practice mean scores post implementation than pre. Design A quasi experimental research design was utilized. Setting: The study was conducted at the orthopedic surgery and traumatology departments at El. Hadara Orthopedic and Traumatology University Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. Subjects: The subjects comprised a convenience sample of 50 nurses worked at orthopedic surgery and traumatology departments. Tools: Two tools were used; Tool I: Orthopedic Nurses’ Knowledge regarding immobilization complications control questionnaire. Tool II: Nurses` practice Observational Checklist for immobilization complications control. Results: There was statistically significant improvement of nurses' knowledge and practice mean scores regarding prevention of immobility complications post implementation of educational nursing guideline. Conclusion : Educational nursing guideline shows a positive result in relation to the nurses' knowledge and safety practice mean score. Recommendations : Inservice training programs should be implemented to help the nurses to acquire and develop their knowledge and practice regarding caring of immobilized patients. Replication of the study on large probability sampling.