Exploring Nurses’ Knowledge of the Glasgow Coma Scale in Intensive Care and Emergency Departments at a Tertiary Hospital in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Purpose:The present study determines the factors affecting knowledge of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of emergency room (ER) and intensive care unit (ICU) nurses who work at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study with self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 149 ICU and ER nurses conveniently selected at a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. A standardized tool was used to assess knowledge of the GCS. The study adhered to the STROBE guideline for cross-sectional studies. Results: Expatriate nurses (p<0.001) and those with a postgraduate degree (p<0.05) were found to have more knowledge of the GCS. Nurses with expertise in ICU services scored significantly higher (p<0.001) than those who work in the ER. Nurses reporting no previous training in the GCS had higher scores (p<0.05) than those who had previous training in the GCS. Conclusion: Some of the demographic characteristics and nurses' knowledge about the GCS were associated. Expatriate, postgraduate, and ICU nurses were more knowledgeable about the GCS tool. Surprisingly, nurses without GCS additional training had more GCS knowledge than nurses who had attended training. The results provide valuable insights into and guidance for improving GCS knowledge among ICU and ER nurses.

Effect of training sessions about Full Outline of Un-Responsiveness scale compared to Glasgow Coma Scale on nurses’ performance, perception and its reliability

“…Regarding nurses' knowledge about GCS and FOUR scale the current study revealed that the nurses were more knowledgeable about GCS compared to FOUR scale before conducting the training sessions, whereas the nurses routinely used GCS in all studied settings to assess the patients' LOC and the majority of nurses were unacquainted about FOUR scale. That is congruence with other researchers (Albougami, 2019 andChilikova &Dimitrov, 2016). On the other hand, this study showed that CCNs were more knowledgeable about FOUR score compared to GCS after training session, which may be rationalized by the simplicity of conducting FOUR scale similarly to other researchers' findings (Johnson & Whitcomb, 2013).…”

Practice and associated factors of Glasgow Coma Scale assessment among nurses working in adult intensive care units of federally administered hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“…Giving a clear, communicable picture of a patient's condition by reporting each one separately as well as summarizing delivers a clear, communicable picture of a patient's condition. The total score is used to classify head injuries as mild (13)(14)(15), moderate (9)(10)(11)(12), or severe (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8) (5,6). In patient care, consistent measurement and transmission of the GCS at different times and amongst different observers is critical (7)(8)(9).…”

“…The total score is used to classify head injuries as mild (13)(14)(15), moderate (9)(10)(11)(12), or severe (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8) (5,6). In patient care, consistent measurement and transmission of the GCS at different times and amongst different observers is critical (7)(8)(9). The accurate application of measuring scales in the assessment of patients' awareness status is not only required for determining the patient's prognosis, but also as a basis for decision-making, in clinical setups.…”

Essential Emergency Critical Care (EECC) Related Research Articles: A Literature Review

“…In this article, we discuss research articles that we believe can be essential to improving critical care services in emergency departments. The emergency department deals with many critical cases daily being surgical or medical based (Acob, 2018;Albougami, 2019 andAnal, 2021). Applying an evidence-based approach to the resuscitation of emergency cases is important in ensuring the risk and benefit ratio of treating patients is preserved (Azali, & Ludin, 2020& Ludin, & Bajuri, 2020.…”