Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Effect of Developing and Implementing Postoperative Nursing Care Standards on Nurses Performance for Reduction or Prevention Postoperative Complications

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common clinical entities in daily neurosurgical practice. It has been reported to be 1-5 cases per 10,000 of American people per year. Nurses should develop their own standards of care in reducing postoperative complications.The Aim of the study is 3 folds:1. To assess nurses` knowledge and practice regarding patients who had drainage of CSDH 2. Develop postoperative care standards for nurses dealing with patients who had drainage of CSDH 3. Evaluate the effect of implementing postoperative care standards on nurses` performance and patient complications. Quasi experimental research design was utilized in this study .This study was conducted in the neurosurgery department at Assiut University Hospital.A convenient sample of 30 nurses and 73 patients who had drainage of CSDH pre and post implementation of postoperative care standards aged from 18-65 years from both sexes. Four tools utilized for data collection were :1. Nurses performance Regards Care of patients Undergoing CSDH Questionnaire sheet to assess nurses knowledge in addition to some sociodemographic data. 2. Nurses performance Regards Care of patients Undergoing CSDH Observation checklist sheet to assess nurses skills. 3. Patient assessment sheet for CSDH to assess postoperative complications that might develop among all patients admitted to neurosurgery department. 4. Construction of developed postoperative care standards. The results can be concluded as a sharp improvement in the mean knowledge and practice scores were found after implementation of the developed postoperative care standards. As postoperative complications were reduced after implementation of the developed postoperative care standards As a positive relationship was found between nurses` knowledge and practice scores immediately after implementation of the developed postoperative care standards . Conclusion: patients who had drainage of CSDH exposed to several complications. Improving nurses` knowledge and practice can favorable affect the incidence of these complications. Recommendations: Nurses in need for in-service training programs and refreshing courses to improve their knowledge which will reflect into their practice while working with patients. [Hala M. Ghanem and Roshdy Abd El-Aziz El-khayat Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Effect of Developing and Implementing Postoperative Nursing Care Standards on Nurses Performance for Reduction or Prevention Postoperative Complications. Journal of American Science 2012; 8(2):686-697]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience.org. 96 Key word: Chronic Subdural Hematoma is a common type of intracranial hemorrhage and is predominantly seen in the old age. A Standard is defined as benchmark of achievement, which is based on a desired level of excellence