Nurses’ Performance Regarding Holistic Assessment of Emergency Patients at Kafr Sakr Central Hospital

Background: Holistic nursing assessment of emergency patients continues to be a challenge for all levels of critical care nurses. Patients with multi-system dysfunction in particular, present complicated clinical challenges that demand care based on nurses performance and understanding of patients’ physiological, psychosocial and spiritual needs. Aim of the study was to assess nurses’ performance regarding holistic assessment of emergency patients at kafr sakr central hospital. Design: A descriptive exploratory research design was used in this study. Setting: The study was conducted at emergency department of Kafr Sakr Central Hospital. Subjects: A Convenient sample of all available nurses (no=50 nurses). Tools: Two tools were used in the study included, tool 1: nurses’ self administered interview questionnaire and tool 2: nurses’ practice observational checklist. Result: 24% of studied nurses had unsatisfactory knowledge regarding holistic assessment of emergency patients, in addition 34% of studied nurses had incompetent practice regarding holistic assessment of emergency patients. There was a highly statistically positive correlation between total knowledge and practice regarding holistic assessment of emergency patients among the studied nurses. Conclusion: current study clarifies that, there was nearly one quarter of studied nurses had unsatisfactory knowledge while more than one third of studied nurses had incompetent practice regarding holistic assessment of emergency patients. In addition, there was a highly statistically positive correlation between knowledge and practice regarding holistic assessment of emergency patients among the studied nurses. Recommendations: Developing ongoing in-service educational and training program to improve nurses’ knowledge and practices regarding holistic assessment of emergency patients.