Clinical nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward patients with epilepsy

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Nursing Education
• Public Health

Background:

• Limited nurse knowledge and negative attitudes towards epilepsy can compromise patient care quality.
• Addressing these gaps is crucial for improving health outcomes for individuals with epilepsy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the knowledge and attitudes of nurses concerning epilepsy.
• To identify potential correlations between nurse education and their understanding/views on epilepsy.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study involving 85 nurses at a Turkish university hospital.
• Utilized validated scales to measure epilepsy knowledge and attitudes.
• Collected demographic and educational data from participants.

Main Results:

• Nurses demonstrated moderate epilepsy knowledge (mean score 12.62±2.77) and generally positive attitudes (mean score 55.43±6.59).
• Significant differences in knowledge and attitude scores were linked to nurses' educational status (P<0.05).
• A positive correlation was found between epilepsy knowledge and attitude scores (r=0.227, P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Nurses exhibit moderate epilepsy knowledge and generally positive but insufficient attitudes.
• Increased knowledge regarding epilepsy is associated with more positive attitudes among nurses.
• Targeted educational interventions may enhance nursing care for epilepsy patients.