Educational Session on Acute Poisoning Management Among Emergency Nurses: A Quasi-Experimental Study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61919/jhrr.v5i12.1943Keywords:
Acute poisoning; Emergency nursing; Educational intervention; Knowledge; Practice; Quasi-experimental study.Abstract
Background: Acute poisoning is a major emergency care burden in low- and middle-income countries, and frontline nurses frequently manage the earliest and most time-sensitive phases of assessment and stabilization; however, evidence indicates substantial competency gaps that may compromise early care quality (1–5). Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured educational session in improving nurses’ knowledge and self-reported practices regarding acute poisoning management in tertiary-care emergency departments in Peshawar, Pakistan. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre–post intervention study was conducted among 125 registered nurses working in accident and emergency departments of three public tertiary care hospitals. Outcomes were measured using a validated questionnaire assessing poisoning-related knowledge (15 items) and practice (35 items) (2). Participants completed baseline assessment, attended a one-hour educational session (lecture plus practical demonstration), and completed post-intervention assessment one week later. Paired-sample t-tests compared pre- and post-intervention scores with statistical significance set at p<0.05. Results: Knowledge increased from 7.08±0.78 to 14.47±0.75 (mean difference 7.39, 95% CI 7.19–7.59, p<0.001), and practice increased from 12.81±3.19 to 33.63±1.56 (mean difference 20.82, 95% CI 20.16–21.48, p<0.001). Conclusion: A brief structured educational session produced large, precise improvements in nurses’ poisoning management knowledge and reported practices, supporting protocol-focused training as a practical continuing professional development strategy in emergency settings.
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