ICU Nurses’ Knowledge about Enteral Feeding in Critically Ill Patients in Nemazee Hospital in Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition is prevalent among critically ill patients. Previous studies confirmed calorie and protein intake inadequacy in ill patients. In this study, we evaluated the ICU nurses' knowledge about enteral feeding (EF) as a possible cause of inadequate intake in critically ill patients.<br />Methods: All 140 ICU nurses were asked to complete the questionnaire about EF knowledge, while the cut-off point of good knowledge was set at 75%.<br />Results: Out of 140 ICU nurses, 101 completed the questionnaire, while 9.9%, 38.6%, 45.5% and 6% of the nurses had <25%, 25-50%, 50-75% and <75% knowledge about EF, respectively.<br />Conclusion: Most of ICU nurses did not have a good EF knowledge and this can lead to inadequacy of calorie and protein intake in patients. Therefore, increasing the nurses' knowledge about the importance and correct method of EF through education as an interventional method is recommended.