Effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients: pre and post-study design.

BACKGROUND

Eye care plays a vital role in delivering holistic nursing to patients in intensive care units (ICUs), particularly those with impaired ocular defense mechanisms due to factors such as infections, medication use, or mechanical ventilation. Despite its importance, eye care is often overlooked as clinical attention is typically focused on sustaining critical bodily functions. To prevent ocular complications, nurses must be well-educated and proficient in eye assessment, accurate diagnosis, and the application of current evidence-based protocols-skills that can be developed through formal education and ongoing practical training.

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of implementing an Eye Care Clinical Guidelines (ECCG) training program on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as its effect on reducing eye complications in critically ill ICU patients.

METHODS

A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used, involving two participant groups: 75 nurses and 100 patients. Key outcomes-nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices, along with the incidence of eye complications-were measured before and after the ECCG training intervention. Comparisons were made between pre- and post-intervention results to assess the effectiveness of the training.

RESULTS

The study included 75 ICU nurses and 100 critically ill patients. Post-intervention, nurses demonstrated significantly improved knowledge and practice scores related to eye care (P ≤ 0.001), although changes in attitude scores were not statistically significant (p = 0.147). Furthermore, the incidence of eye complications decreased from 84% in the pre-intervention group to 46% in the post-intervention group, showing a highly significant difference (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The ECCG training significantly enhanced ICU nurses' knowledge and practices and contributed to a marked reduction in eye complications among critically ill patients. It is therefore recommended that Egyptian ICUs adopt standardized eye care guidelines and protocols to improve patient outcomes and the overall quality of care.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.