Effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients: pre and post-study design

Abstract Background Eye care plays a vital role in delivering holistic nursing to patients in intensive care units (ICUs), particularly those with impaired ocular defense mechanisms due to factors such as infections, medication use, or mechanical ventilation. Despite its importance, eye care is ofte...

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Main Author: Amina Hemida Salem Ghattas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:BMC Nursing
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03390-5
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author Amina Hemida Salem Ghattas
author_facet Amina Hemida Salem Ghattas
author_sort Amina Hemida Salem Ghattas
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Eye care plays a vital role in delivering holistic nursing to patients in intensive care units (ICUs), particularly those with impaired ocular defense mechanisms due to factors such as infections, medication use, or mechanical ventilation. Despite its importance, eye care is often overlooked as clinical attention is typically focused on sustaining critical bodily functions. To prevent ocular complications, nurses must be well-educated and proficient in eye assessment, accurate diagnosis, and the application of current evidence-based protocols—skills that can be developed through formal education and ongoing practical training. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the impact of implementing an Eye Care Clinical Guidelines (ECCG) training program on nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as its effect on reducing eye complications in critically ill ICU patients. Methods A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used, involving two participant groups: 75 nurses and 100 patients. Key outcomes—nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices, along with the incidence of eye complications—were measured before and after the ECCG training intervention. Comparisons were made between pre- and post-intervention results to assess the effectiveness of the training. Results The study included 75 ICU nurses and 100 critically ill patients. Post-intervention, nurses demonstrated significantly improved knowledge and practice scores related to eye care (P ≤ 0.001), although changes in attitude scores were not statistically significant (p = 0.147). Furthermore, the incidence of eye complications decreased from 84% in the pre-intervention group to 46% in the post-intervention group, showing a highly significant difference (p < 0.001). Conclusions The ECCG training significantly enhanced ICU nurses’ knowledge and practices and contributed to a marked reduction in eye complications among critically ill patients. It is therefore recommended that Egyptian ICUs adopt standardized eye care guidelines and protocols to improve patient outcomes and the overall quality of care. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
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spelling doaj-art-95376e1ebdf243eb9d720a94f492a46d2025-08-20T04:01:24ZengBMCBMC Nursing1472-69552025-06-0124111510.1186/s12912-025-03390-5Effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients: pre and post-study designAmina Hemida Salem Ghattas0Faculty of Nursing, Critical Care & Emergency Nursing Department, Alexandria UniversityAbstract Background Eye care plays a vital role in delivering holistic nursing to patients in intensive care units (ICUs), particularly those with impaired ocular defense mechanisms due to factors such as infections, medication use, or mechanical ventilation. Despite its importance, eye care is often overlooked as clinical attention is typically focused on sustaining critical bodily functions. To prevent ocular complications, nurses must be well-educated and proficient in eye assessment, accurate diagnosis, and the application of current evidence-based protocols—skills that can be developed through formal education and ongoing practical training. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the impact of implementing an Eye Care Clinical Guidelines (ECCG) training program on nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as its effect on reducing eye complications in critically ill ICU patients. Methods A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used, involving two participant groups: 75 nurses and 100 patients. Key outcomes—nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices, along with the incidence of eye complications—were measured before and after the ECCG training intervention. Comparisons were made between pre- and post-intervention results to assess the effectiveness of the training. Results The study included 75 ICU nurses and 100 critically ill patients. Post-intervention, nurses demonstrated significantly improved knowledge and practice scores related to eye care (P ≤ 0.001), although changes in attitude scores were not statistically significant (p = 0.147). Furthermore, the incidence of eye complications decreased from 84% in the pre-intervention group to 46% in the post-intervention group, showing a highly significant difference (p < 0.001). Conclusions The ECCG training significantly enhanced ICU nurses’ knowledge and practices and contributed to a marked reduction in eye complications among critically ill patients. It is therefore recommended that Egyptian ICUs adopt standardized eye care guidelines and protocols to improve patient outcomes and the overall quality of care. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03390-5Eye care clinical guidelinesNurses’ competenciesPatients’ outcomesCritically ill patients
spellingShingle Amina Hemida Salem Ghattas
Effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients: pre and post-study design
BMC Nursing
Eye care clinical guidelines
Nurses’ competencies
Patients’ outcomes
Critically ill patients
title Effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients: pre and post-study design
title_full Effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients: pre and post-study design
title_fullStr Effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients: pre and post-study design
title_full_unstemmed Effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients: pre and post-study design
title_short Effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients: pre and post-study design
title_sort effect of eye care clinical guidelines training on nurses knowledge attitude and practice and eye complications among critically ill patients pre and post study design
topic Eye care clinical guidelines
Nurses’ competencies
Patients’ outcomes
Critically ill patients
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03390-5
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