Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Critical Care Nurses Regarding Eye Care Across 17 Hospitals: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND

While international guidelines emphasise the importance of eye care for critically ill patients' eye complication prevention, the current study reveals significant gaps in clinical implementation, demonstrating that up to 89.3% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients develop eye disorders despite established protocols.

AIM

To investigate the eye care competency of ICU nurses in China and identify key determinants influencing clinical implementation.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted from 17 hospitals in 8 provinces across China. Data were collected by validated electronic questionnaires. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to summarise demographic characteristics of the sample. Multivariate stepwise linear regression modelling was used to identify factors associated with eye care.

RESULTS

A total of 1947 nurses participated in the survey. The total score of the Eye Care Competence Index (ECCI) was 79.97 ± 11.60. Factors associated with the knowledge dimension of eye care included training experience and whether materials were consulted. The attitudinal dimension was associated with gender, training experience and whether materials were consulted. The practices dimension was influenced by education level, training experience and whether materials were consulted. Additionally, gender, training experience and whether materials were consulted were found to influence the total ECCI score.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing staff had relatively deficient knowledge about eye care for critically ill patients, maintained a relatively positive attitude and exhibited moderate behavioural practices. Gender, prior participation in eye care-related training and whether they had reviewed relevant materials were the primary influencing factors.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Clinical managers should prioritise optimising eye care protocols, establishing clear standards and enhancing multidisciplinary collaboration, while strengthening training programmes and encouraging continuing education. Clinical nurses should improve their eye care knowledge and focus on ocular complication risks to better serve patients and enhance clinical outcomes.