Assessment of knowledge, practices and attitudes regarding enteral nutrition among ICU nurses in Southern Palestine

Purpose This study aims to assess the knowledge, practices and attitudes of enteral nutrition (EN) among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in southern Palestine. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 161 ICU nurses working in southern hospitals in Palestine. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the nurse’s demographic information, knowledge of EN guidelines, practices in administering EN and attitudes toward EN. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA test and chi-square test using SPSS software package. Findings The study revealed that the mean knowledge score among ICU nurses regarding the subject matter was inadequate, with an average score of 10.3 out of 20. Specifically, only 29.2% of the nurses demonstrated a good level of knowledge, whereas only 1.9% exhibited an excellent level. Nurses have a positive attitude, and their practices were somewhat consistent with the guidelines. However, the attitudinal aspects revealed a generally positive disposition toward EN. There were no significant differences between the means of nurses’ knowledge levels from private and governmental hospitals. Research limitations/implications The current research is limited to the hospitals located two northern cities only; Bethlehem and Hebron. It does not include other hospitals located in the southern cities in the West Bank. Also, the tool of collecting data of the current research was only the questionnaire. It would have been better to use the observation as a tool side by side to the questionnaire used so that provide better understanding of ICU’s nurses’ practices toward EN. Finally, no local literature reviews could be accessed except Hamdan’s study (2022), so that no comprehensive comparison with wider scope of local studies was made. Originality/value This study highlights both strengths and areas requiring attention in the knowledge, practices and attitudes of ICU nurses regarding EN in southern hospitals in Palestine. The findings underscore the importance of continued education and training for nurses to ensure consistent and evidence-based care for critically ill patients receiving EN. Addressing these gaps in knowledge and practice can improve patient outcomes and the quality of care provided in the ICU setting.