Educational Intervention Effect on Nurses’ Knowledge of Glasgow Coma Scale for Neurological Patient Assessment in Tertiary Hospitals in Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Context: Nigeria reports increasing cases of neurological patients requiring close monitoring using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Although nurses are key health personnel managing these patients, evidence suggests they lack knowledge of the GCS and neurological assessment.

Aim: This study assessed the effect of an educational intervention on nurses' knowledge of GCS for neurological patients’ assessment in selected tertiary hospitals in Edo State, Nigeria.

Methods: This is a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group, pre-post-test research design. The sample consisted of 98 nurses purposely selected from the neurological wards of the selected hospitals. A researcher-developed self-report questionnaire with a reliability Cronbach's alpha index of 0.832. Data analysis used descriptive and inferential statistics at the 5% significance level.

Results: Knowledge of GCS increased from a  (0%) pre-test to 29(60.4%) very good knowledge level post-test one and 15(31.3%) post-test two, whereas the control group had 0% throughout the three periods. Significant differences (p 0.000) over the assessment times were found in the intervention group. The post hoc test revealed statistically significant differences between pre-test versus post-test one/and post-test two. A chi-square analysis of association showed no association between socio-demographic characteristics and level of knowledge on GCS among participants pre and post-intervention for both study groups (p>0.05).

Conclusion: This study has convincingly demonstrated the effectiveness of the developed educational intervention package in improving nurses' knowledge of the GCS. The self-instructional format offers an appealing approach to promoting self-directed learning among nurses. This approach can empower nurses to confidently assess patients using the GCS, interpret scores accurately, and apply their knowledge in clinical practice.