An audit of ward nurses’ knowledge of sepsis

Abstract

Many of the patients with sepsis admitted to intensive care and high dependency units develop severe sepsis/septic shock in general hospital wards. If the Surviving Sepsis Campaign's aim of a 25% reduction in mortality from sepsis is to be achieved by 2009, then it is essential that registered nurses are aware of the standard definitions of sepsis, and the recommendations for its initial management. The aim of this study was to audit ward nurses' knowledge of sepsis against standard definitions and evidence-based management guidelines. An audit was carried out in one acute hospital to assess ward nurses' knowledge of sepsis. Seventy-three registered nurses from medical, surgical and orthopaedic wards completed a questionnaire about the signs and symptoms of sepsis and its initial management. The results showed that some ward nurses appeared to have a poor knowledge of the signs and symptoms of sepsis, severe sepsis/septic shock and some aspects of its initial management. Following the results of the audit, a variety of educational initiatives were introduced to raise awareness of the standard definitions and the surviving sepsis management guidelines. In conclusion, targeted education must be provided for nurses working in general wards if the Surviving Sepsis Campaign is to achieve its aim of a 25% reduction in mortality by 2009.

Knowledge regarding assessment of sepsis among Greek nurses

“…The study of Robson et al (2007) enrolled 73 registered ward nurses of junior to senior grade and showed a general lack of knowledge regarding signs and symptoms such as hypothermia (22%), increased blood glucose in non-diabetic patients (43%), decreased systolic blood pressure (43%) and decreased oxygen saturation (46%) for the diagnosis of sepsis. Robson et al's (2007) study had a second phase which included a questionnaire with case studies that showed major deficits in the knowledge of sepsis among participants.…”

“…Robson et al's (2007) study had a second phase which included a questionnaire with case studies that showed major deficits in the knowledge of sepsis among participants.…”

“…Nurses at the bedside are in a unique position to use their expertise to quickly detect the subtle initial symptoms and signs of sepsis. It is important that nurses are well trained to recognise patients with sepsis and adhere to guidelines in order to treat them promptly (Robson et al, 2007). Successful management of the patient with septic shock relies on the early commencement of therapy i.e.…”

A Comprehensive Model for Executing Knowledge Management Audits in Organizations

“…The KMA can be used as a tool to determine the SWOT to an organization and to assist the organization in improving its practices to best achieve its goals. In general, KMAs are important to achieve the following goals: defining the opportunities and threats as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the organization for KM purposes, 8,11,43 locating the knowledge resources, 16,20,44,45 determining and analyzing the appropriate flow of knowledge, 9,11,13,25 enhancing individuals' awareness regarding the sharing of their knowledge and enhancement of their relations with other organization members, 16,46 preparing a knowledge map for the organization, 9,11,13,20,44 creating a sense of ownership in individuals with respect to the KM center, 16 enhancing individuals' awareness regarding KM and its importance, 47 providing an opportunity to improve individuals' training in various fields, 48 presenting suggestions on the techniques, mechanisms and tools of KM, 16,42 preparing a knowledge inventory, 11,13,45 determining the key knowledge processes, 8,11,20,44 defining the main factors and indexes for the evaluation of the KM implementation, 8 encouraging individuals to think about the type of knowledge that they require, 16 presenting KM strategies, 8,11,16 analyzing the knowledge network and social network of knowledge, 11 preventing duplicated tasks, 13 designing a knowledge-based system and developing semantic Web sites, 49 preparing the necessary platforms for the development of the KM center, 16,49 guaranteeing the successful execution of KM programs, 11,16,…”

The Impact of a Nurse Practitioner Rapid Response Team on Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Outcomes

“…8 Likewise, an audit of ward nurses' knowledge of sepsis found that some nurses have a poor knowledge of the signs and symptoms of sepsis as well as the aspects of initial management. 9 After the results of the audit, educational sessions were held to increase knowledge regarding the standard definitions for sepsis and the Surviving Sepsis Guidelines. Delays in the adoption of new knowledge to implementation into practice are not entirely surprising in that the time from validation to implementation of a new clinical practice is typically 17 years.…”