Continuing Education and Transfusion Safety: Effects on Nursing Knowledge and Perceptions in Northern Brazil

Objective: To assess changes in nursing professionals’ knowledge following a continuing education intervention on transfusion safety and to examine their perceptions of safe transfusion practice. Background: Transfusion safety depends on accurate bedside care practices, timely recognition of transfusion reactions, and continuing professional education. Design: A longitudinal quasi-experimental study with an incorporated qualitative component. Methods: A total of 110 professionals (32 nurses and 78 nursing assistants) from a public hematology referral center in northern Brazil participated. A context-specific questionnaire, containing 15 scored items and one open-ended question, was administered before, immediately after, three months after, and six months after the intervention. Nonparametric analyses were used; the main longitudinal analysis included participants who completed all four assessments.