Recovery room nurses’ knowledge regarding postoperative airway emergencies in adults in private hospitals in Northern Gauteng, South Africa

T van Huyssteen, ADH Botha

Abstract


Background: Recovery room nurses should have the knowledge and skill to identify and manage postoperative airway emergencies in adult patients.

Aim: To determine the knowledge of recovery room nurses regarding postoperative airway emergencies in adult patients in private hospitals in Northern Gauteng.

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, contextual research design was adopted, using a survey as research method. The research instrument was a questionnaire in the form of a measurement test. The sample consisted of all registered nurses on duty at a given time that volunteered to complete the questionnaire. Convenience sampling was thus applied. A thorough literature review, evaluation of the questionnaire by experts and a pilot study enhanced validity and reliability of the research.

Results: The researcher analysed the data, using descriptive statistics. The average score of respondents was forty-three per cent (43%), which was twenty-seven per cent (27%) below the set competency indicator of seventy per cent (70%). Only one respondent achieved a score above seventy per cent (70%).

Conclusion: It was found that respondents lacked knowledge regarding six specific airway emergencies in postoperative adult patients. As the study was contextual, findings could not be generalised to other populations.

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