Assessment of Nurses’ Knowledge and Practice Regarding Nursing Care for Neonates on Non-Invasive Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Background:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a fundamental non-invasive respiratory support modality widely used in neonatal intensive care units. Its effectiveness in reducing the need for invasive ventilation underscores the importance of ensuring that nurses possess adequate knowledge and skills to ensure its safe and effective application. Aim of the study: To assess nurses’ knowledge and practices regarding nursing care for neonates on non-invasive CPAP.Design: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used. Setting: The study was conducted at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Beheira Specialized Children's Hospital, affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt. Subjects: A convenience sample of all available nurses (n=90) working in the NICU during the data collection period. Tools: Two tools were used to collect data: tool I: a structured interview questionnaire to assess nurses’ knowledge, and tool II: an observational checklist to evaluate their practices. Results: The findings revealed that 60% of the nurses had poor knowledge regarding CPAP . However, 91.1% demonstrated good practice levels in CPAP care . Statistically significant associations were found between nurses’ knowledge and both age and prior training (p<0.05), and between nurses’ practice and both gender and training attendance (p<0.01). A significant positive correlation was also observed between knowledge and practice, especially tasks such as CPAP setup and troubleshooting. Conclusion: Despite knowledge deficits among the studied nurses, most exhibited proficient CPAP-related practices.Recommendations: Ongoing in-service training programs should be implemented to enhance nurses’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills regarding neonatal CPAP care.