Evaluation of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of intensive care unit nurses regarding eye care: A descriptive study

Abstract

Eye care is an essential component of nursing practices in intensive care units (ICUs) due to the vulnerability of critically ill patients to ocular complications. The study aims to evaluate ICU nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding eye care. This descriptive study, involved 207 ICU nurses from Turkey. Data were collected using the Nurse Introductory Information Form and the Eye Care Clinical Competence Questionnaire. The nurses' mean age was 34.37 +/- 7.81. The study found that 54.1% did not record eye problems, and 25% cited excessive paperwork as a barrier. Nurses who followed current studies scored higher on the Eye Care Clinical Competence Questionnaire (p = 0.036). Additionally, holding an intensive care certificate significantly improved application sub-dimension and total scale scores (p = 0.020, p = 0.023). Educational level significantly impacts ICU nurses' ability to provide eye care, though they face various obstacles in its delivery.