Improving knowledge, attitudes, and practice of nurses in medication administration through enteral feeding tubes by clinical pharmacists: a case–control study

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic information of nurses in the case and control groups at the commencement of the study

	Case group	Control group	P
	n=43	n=39
Age, years (mean ± SD)	32.34±3.78	33.12±5.12	0.43
Years of practice as a nurse (mean ± SD)	4.39±3.74	5.66±5.23	0.21
Years of practice in ICU‌ (mean ± SD)	2.65±2.19	2.94±1.74	0.5
Sex			0.28
Females, n (%)	26 (60.5)	27 (69.2)
Level of education			0.88
Bachelor's degree, n (%)	37 (86.0)	34 (87.2)
Master's degree, n (%)	6 (14.0)	5 (12.8)

Notes: Independent-sample t-tests used to compare age, years of practice as a nurse, and years of practice in ICU, and χ² used to compare sex and level of education. In each test, P≤0.05 was considered significant.

Abbreviation: ICU, intensive-care unit.

Table 2 Scores of nurses with acceptable knowledge in different domains in the case and control groups before and after clinical pharmacist intervention

Knowledge-question domain	Preintervention			Postintervention			P (pre- vs postintervention)
	Case group n=43	Control group n=39	P-value	Case group n=38	Control group n=39	P-value	Case group	Control group
Solid dosage–form crushing
Score^a	4.49±1.03	4.49±3.34	0.51	7.26±0.68	4.05±1.02	<0.001	<0.001	0.13
n (%)	6 (14.0)	5 (12.8)	0.88	24 (63.2)	6 (15.4)	<0.001	<0.001	1.00
Tube flushing and drug dilution
Score^b	1.12±0.73	1.03±0.63	0.55	1.9±0.311	0.97±0.67	<0.001	<0.001	0.32
n (%)	14 (32.6)	8 (20.5)	0.22	31 (81.6)	8 (20.5)	<0.001	<0.001	1.00
Drug–food and drug–drug interaction
Score^c	1.00±0.845	0.79±0.69	0.24	2.65±0.48	0.77±0.74	<0.001	<0.001	0.57
n (%)	10 (23.3)	9 (23.1)	0.98	21 (55.3)	6 (15.4)	<0.001	0.002	0.25
Correct dosage forms selection
Score^d	7.02±2.46	5.15±1.17	<0.001	16.58±1.15	5.07±1.83	<0.001	<0.001	0.61
n (%)	6 (14)	7 (17.9)	0.62	22 (57.9)	5 (12.8)	0.001	<0.001	0.50

Notes: Independent-sample t-tests used to compare mean scores on knowledge, and paired t-tests to compare percentages before and after intervention. In each test, P≤0.05 was considered significant). Score data presented as means± SD. ^aMaximum score 8; ^bmaximum score 2; ^cmaximum score 3; ^dmaximum score 18.

Table 3 Scores of nurses with acceptable practice in different domains at pre- and postintervention in the case and control groups

Practice-question domain	Preintervention			Postintervention			P (pre- vs postintervention)
	Case group n=43	Control group n=39	P-value	Case group n=38	Control group n=39	P-value	Case group	Control group
Solid dosage–form crushing
Score^a	1.744±1.311	1.333±0.927	0.11	4.947±1.723	1.31±0.922	<0.001	<0.001	0.57
n (%)	4 (9.3)	3 (7.7)	0.8	13 (34.2)	3 (7.7)	0.004	0.004	1.00
Tube flushing and drug dilution
Score^b	5.163±1.632	4.256±1.650	0.02	7.342±0.781	4.33±1.767	<0.001	<0.001	0.37
n (%)	20 (46.5)	17 (43.6)	0.37	29 (76.3)	4 (10.3)	<0.001	<0.039	<0.001
Drug–food and drug–drug interaction
Score^c	3.070±1.653	2.846±1.288	0.50	5.947±1.355	2.85±1.329	<0.001	<0.001	1.00
n (%)	11 (25.6)	9 (23.1)	0.79	25 (65.8)	9 (23.1)	<0.001	<0.001	1.00
Verifying feeding tube position
Score^d	0.744±0.621	0.615±0.633	0.35	2.763±0.490	0.59±0.637	<0.001	<0.001	0.32
n (%)	14 (32.6)	11 (28.2)	0.67	26 (68.4)	10 (25.6)	<0.001	<0.001	1.00

Notes: Independent-sample t-tests used to compare mean scores on practice, and paired t-tests to compare percentages before and after intervention. In each test, P≤0.05 was considered significant. Score data presented as means ± SD. ^aMaximum score 8; ^bmaximum score 8; ^cmaximum score 8; ^dmaximum score 3.

Table 4 Scores of nurses with acceptable practice regarding researcher observation

Practice-question domain	Preintervention			Postintervention			P (pre- vs postintervention)
	Case group n=43	Control group n=39	P-value	Case group n=38	Control group n=39	P-value	Case group	Control group
Solid dosage–form crushing
Score^a	0.735±0.689	0.744±0.715	0.95	2.263±0.723	1.410±1.044	<0.001	<0.001	0.002
n (%)	6 (14.0)	6 (15.4)	0.85	20 (52.6)	9 (23.1)	0.007	0.001	0.45
Tube flushing and drug dilution
Score^b	4.116±1.577	3.949±1.555	0.63	10.4±2.354	3.820±1.502	<0.001	<0.001	0.17
n (%)	4 (9.3)	6 (15.4)	0.40	20 (52.6)	6 (15.4)	0.001	<0.001	1.00
Drug–food and drug–drug interaction
Score^c	3.473±1.533	3.487±1.675	0.97	9.360±1.984	3.667±1.603	<0.001	<0.001	0.34
n (%)	10 (23.3)	11 (28.2)	0.61	22 (57.9)	11 (28.2)	0.008	0.002	1.00
Verifying feeding tube position
Score^d	7.628±1.865	7.538±2.426	0.85	16.47±2.089	7.564±2.426	<0.001	<0.001	0.32
n (%)	7 (16.3)	9 (23.1)	0.44	20 (52.6)	13 (33.3)	0.008	0.001	0.12

Notes: Independent-sample t-tests used to compare mean scores on practice, and paired t-tests to compare percentages before and after intervention. In each test, P≤0.05 was considered significant. Data presented as means ± SD. ^aMaximum score 3; ^bmaximum score 15; ^cmaximum score 13; ^dmaximum score 21.