Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Oncology Nurses in the Maintenance of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) in Selected Hospitals in Shandong Province China

Background: Standardized catheter maintenance by nurses can reduce complications. Understanding the knowledge, attitude and practice status of clinical nurses in PICC maintenance is of great practical significance for medical and health development. Objective: To describe the current knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of nurses on peripheral central catheterization (PICC) maintenance. Methods: The knowledge, attitude and behavior of PICC maintenance of 317 oncology nurses in Shandong Province were analyzed by questionnaires. The counting data were described by frequency and percentage. The influence factors of PICC maintenance knowledge, attitude and behavior were determined by independent sample t test and one-way analysis of variance. Results Gender, age, professional title, education level, work experience, PICC training experience and PICC certificate are all significant factors affecting PICC maintenance knowledge, attitude and behavior. In the dimension of PICC maintenance knowledge, 212 nurses (mean = 10.00, SD=1.26) were proficient in PICC maintenance knowledge, while 105 nurses (mean = 16.60, SD=1.34) were obviously lacking in PICC maintenance knowledge. In the dimension of PICC maintenance attitude, the average score of nurses' PICC maintenance attitude was 52.92+10.34 points, and 228 nurses (mean = 58.86, SD=4.67) had a positive attitude towards PICC maintenance. The average score of nurses' PICC maintenance practice was 62.03+13.00, 64% of nurses had good PICC maintenance practice ability, and 203 nurses (mean =71.33, SD=4.76) had good PICC maintenance practice ability. Discussion In conclusion, the knowledge, attitude and practice of PICC maintenance of oncology nurses in Shandong Province were all at a moderate level. The role of demographic factors on PICC maintenance was paid attention to, and the training on PICC maintenance was emphasized, and the knowledge level, attitude cognition and practical ability of nurses on PICC maintenance were improved through diversified training methods.