Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Risk of Acute Kidney Injury among Surgical Nurses at a Public Teaching Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract

Introduction: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is frequently discussed in ICU settings, but there’s a dearth of data on its incidence among surgical patients in Malaysia. Understanding AKI onset characteristics and prognostic risk factors is crucial for enhancing clinical prevention and treatment strategies. Adequate knowledge among nurses, especially in early recognition, is key to identifying and preventing AKI in at-risk patients. This study aimed to assess the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of nursing risk assessment regarding AKI among surgical department nurses. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted in a Kuala Lumpur public teaching hospital from June 30th to July 8th, 2022. Seventy-five nurses from various units in the surgical department were randomly selected. Their KAP on AKI was evaluated using self-administered questionnaires, developed and validated for this research.
Results: Most respondents were female nurses with a mean age of 35.7 and an average nursing experience of 9.78 years. Thirty-three nurses had advanced clinical training, and 21.3% had critical care unit experience. Overall, the KAP level on AKI among surgical nurses was moderate (61.4%). Significant differences in KAP scores were observed among different working units (p=0.031) and among nurses with advanced training (p=0.019). Notably, while nurses showed good knowledge and practice in AKI risk assessment, 93.3% were unable to correctly define AKI, and 70.7% lacked knowledge in performing AKI risk assessment. Additionally, only 2.6% correctly identified AKI risk factors. Conclusion: Nurses’ KAP scores on AKI in the surgical department were moderate. Implementing an education program on AKI risk assessment for nurses is essential to enhance their ability to identify and manage AKI in surgical patients.