Nurse's knowledge of blood transfusion in medical training centers of Shahre-kord University of Medical Science in 2004

Using blood and blood components (BBC) is a common therapeutic procedure in hospitals. Nurses have an important role in a safe blood transfusion. Therefore, it is crucial for nurses to have sufficient knowledge of situations, amount and methods of using BBC, possible side effects and necessary cares. This study investigated nurses’ knowledge of BBC. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study on 117 nurses in medical training hospitals of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences in 2004, aiming to evaluate their knowledge of blood transfusion. Data were collected using a questionnaire including 4 sections and 29 questions. Sections included demographic data, nurses’ knowledge of BBC, nurses’ knowledge of BBC infusion techniques, and nurses’ knowledge of indication and side effects of BBC infusion. Knowledge scores were first coded and then, categorized in three levels of good, average and poor. Data were analyzed using SPSS. The results showed that nurses’ knowledge of blood and blood component, techniques of BBC infusion and its indication and side effects was average (66.7%, 65.8% and 59%, respectively). The findings showed that the nurses’ knowledge of blood and blood component was average and insufficient. Therefore, it is recommended to activate the blood transfusion committees in hospitals to increase the quality of this common procedure and prevent side effects by in-service trainings of nurses.