الفهرس Only 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 297 |  |  |
| | | from | 297 | | |
Abstract
Coma is not considered as a dangerous cause of death, but the danger may be raised from its complications. The effects are systemic and functional due to impaired protective reflexes.
Any unconscious patient is totally dependent on the nurse for support and maintenance of all basic functions, as well as, prevention of complications, whatever the cause of unconsciousness, he/she requires special nursing care. The key role of nursing in providing the comprehensive care of comatose patients is clear, such complications absorb large proportion of hospital and manpower resources. Therefore, a need was felt to explore this problem to improve nurses knowledge, performance and lessen or prevent occurrence of complications among the comatose patients.
The aim of the present study was two folds: A) to improve knowledge and performance level of nurses about care of unconscious patients, B) to study its effect on patient’s outcome. The study was conducted at the Neurological ICU and Emergency Medical Units in Zagazig University Hospital.
To fulfill the aim of the present study, the following research hypotheses were formulated:
H1: The mean knowledge socres of nursing working with comatose patients post-program will be higher than that of their pre-program scores. H2: The mean perforamcne socres of nursing working with comatose patients post-program will be higher than that of their pre-program scores. H3: Comatose patients cared by the nurses under study will develop less or no complications. H4: There will be a direct relation between nurses’ knowledge and their performance scores. H5: There will be indirect relationship between nurses’ knowledge and development of complications. H6: There will be indirect relationship between nurses’ performance and development of complications.
To fulfill the goal of the study, the researcher dealt with a sample of 36 nurses working in these units during morning shifts; 18 nurses were diploma, 8 nurses were Hakima, and 10 nurses were graduated from the High Institute of Nursing, having at least one year of experience in the ICU. Together, the study included 35 comatose patients, that were selected randomly (12 female and 23 male patients). They were subjects that had been admitted to the previously mentioned units. Follow-up was done by the researcher for every selected patient from the time of admission till recovery or deteriorated (10 patients were improved and 25 patients were deteriorated). This is in order to reveal the developmental outcome over different body systems.