EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NURSING TRAINING IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH INVASIVE INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE MONITORING DEVICES

Abstract

Background: Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is a serious complication in patients with neurological injury and can rapidly lead to herniation or death if not recognized and managed promptly. Nurses play a key role in monitoring and caring for patients with invasive ICP devices; however, specialized and standardized training programs in Vietnam remain limited.

Objectives: To develop a training program for nurses on caring for patients with invasive ICP monitoring based on Circular 26/2020/TT-BYT; to evaluate the effectiveness of the training using a previously validated assessment tool; and to examine nurses’ satisfaction with the program.

Methods: A one-group pre–post intervention study was conducted among 47 nurses. Knowledge (33 items) and attitude (7 Likert-scale items) were assessed at baseline (T0) and after training (T1) using a validated tool (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.8; S-CVI = 0.93). Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and McNemar’s test with SPSS 25.0.

Results: The proportion of nurses meeting the knowledge criteria increased from 15% to 85%; the median knowledge score rose from 20 (Q1-Q3: 18–22) to 25 (Q1-Q3: 23–27) (p <0.001). Confidence improved from 60% to 95%; the median confidence score increased from 3,0 (Q1-Q3: 2.9–3.1) to 4,0 (Q1-Q3: 3.9–4.4) (p <0.001). Overall satisfaction reached 87%.

Conclusions: The training program significantly improved nurses’ knowledge and confidence in caring for patients with invasive ICP monitoring, with high satisfaction levels reported. The validated assessment tool demonstrated feasibility and reliability, supporting its use in training programs across clinical departments.

Keywords: intracranial pressure; Nursing; neurosurgical care; training; knowledge and attitude