Assessment of nursing knowledge and practices in pre- and post-cardiac catheterization: A cross-sectional study at a tertiary heart hospital emergency department

AbstractBackground: Cardiac catheterization is a key procedure in cardiovascular care. However, variations in nursing knowledge and practice remain a concern, especially in emergency departments where timely and accurate care is critical. Standardized pre- and post-procedural nursing care is essential for patient safety.Objective:To assess the knowledge and clinical practices of registered nurses in a tertiary heart hospital emergency department regarding pre- and post-cardiac catheterization care, and to examine the association between nurses’ sociodemographic characteristics and clinical competencies.Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 55 registered nurses at the Heart Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar. Data was collected using a validated 50-item self-administered knowledge questionnaire and a 40-item observational checklist. Knowledge scores ≥70% were considered satisfactory. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-square, t-tests, and Pearson correlation (p<0.05, SPSS v26).Results:Most nurses (83.6%, n=46) had satisfactory knowledge with a mean score of 82.87±9.48%. Pre-procedural care compliance reached 100% across all participants, while post-procedural practice scores ranged from 94–100% (mean 94.22±1.13%). The radial artery approach was used in 96.4% of cases. No significant correlations were found between knowledge and age (r=0.030, p=0.916), gender (r=0.158, p=0.266), education (r=-0.086, p=0.002), or experience (r=0.007, p=0.829).Conclusion:Nurses demonstrated strong knowledge and adherence to institutional cardiac catheterization care protocols. Minor variations in post-procedural practices suggest areas for improvement. Continuous training and institutional protocols appear more influential on competency than demographic factors.