Assessment of nurses’ knowledge and perceived awareness in postoperative wound care for open-heart surgery patients in palestine: a cross-sectional study

Open-heart surgical site infections (SSIs) are severe complications that increase hospitalization rates, morbidity, and mortality. Nurses play an essential role in SSIs prevention through comprehensive knowledge of SSI risk factors, management, and preventive practices. This study aimed to assess nurses’ knowledge and perceived awareness of post-operative wound care in Surgical Cardiac Care Units (SCCUs) of public hospitals in Palestine. A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was conducted in the SCCUs of five public hospitals in the North West Bank from February to August 2024. The sample included all nurses who were working in the SCCUs at the selected five hospitals in Palestine. Data were collected using a standardized self-administered questionnaire to evaluate nurses’ knowledge (22 items) and an observational checklist to assess the nurses’ awareness (17 items) of post-operative wound care. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 87 SCCUs nurses participated in the study. Most nurses fall within the age range of 26–30 years with 37 (42.5%), and most participants are males with 76 (87.4%). A substantial portion of the nurses hold a Bachelor of Nursing. The findings showed SCCUs nurses had a high level of knowledge regarding post-operative wound care for open-heart surgery with a mean score of 19.18 (± 2.04) out of 22, but only a moderate level of perceived awareness with a mean score of 47.93 (± 3.49) out of 68. The findings indicated a positive correlation between nurses’ perceived awareness and knowledge regarding post-operative wound care for open-heart surgery patients ( r = 0.275, p = 0.010). The study showed there are positive significant associations between the nurses’ knowledge and perceived awareness of post-operative wound care and age, gender, marital status, educational level, experience in SCCUs, work hours weekly, and presence of clear wound care protocol on the unit ( p < 0.05). The study showed that the nurses’ knowledge of post-operative wound care for open-heart surgery patients was a high level, especially in the application of antiseptic solutions, surgical handwashing, and wound dressing, but a moderate level of perceived awareness. The findings underscore the need for continuous education, hands-on training, and clear, evidence-based protocols to improve nursing performance and patient outcomes.