Critical care nurses’ knowledge and experience of sepsis assessment and management: A cross-sectional correlational study

Background & Aim: Sepsis is a major global health issue, often leading to delayed recognition due to its varied symptoms. ICU nurses play a crucial role in early detection, but knowledge gaps in sepsis assessment and management persist. This study aimed to examine critical care nurses’ knowledge and experience of caring for patients with sepsis. Methods & Materials: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted on a convenience sample of 320 ICU nurses from various hospitals in Jordan. A Validated tool assessed nurses’ knowledge and experience of sepsis management. Results: Nurses demonstrated moderate knowledge, with an overall score of 9.76 ± 1.43. Hypotension (51.6%) was the most recognized symptom, and 94.7% understood sepsis involves an infection with an inflammatory response. However, knowledge gaps remained, with only 31.9% knowing antibiotics should be given within 2 hours and 73.4% recognizing they should be administered before blood cultures. Regarding SIRS criteria, only a small percentage correctly identified key signs, such as temperature <36°C (26.3%) and heart rate >80 bpm (23.8%). Sepsis risk factors like IV drug use (34.4%) and chronic steroid use (21.9%) were recognized, but fewer identified the elderly (10.6%) as high-risk. Hypotension (50.9%) was the most challenging aspect of care. Nurses emphasized the need for better education (50.6%) and improved treatment protocols (46.9%). Conclusion: This study highlights critical gaps in ICU nurses’ knowledge and experience in assessing and managing sepsis. The findings identified region-specific barriers and the urgent need for tailored training programs in resource-limited critical care settings.