Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN): A Single-Center Analysis of Trauma Nurses Knowledge Gaps

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Nursing Education
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Trauma remains a leading global cause of mortality and morbidity.
• Developing effective trauma systems is crucial, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Specialized nurse training in trauma care is essential for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pinpoint common knowledge deficits among nurses undergoing the Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) course.
• To inform the development of targeted educational aids for ATCN participants.
• To enhance the performance of nurses in critical trauma care scenarios.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, single-center study analyzed final examination results from ATCN courses over one year.
• Multiple-choice questions missed by nurses were compiled and analyzed.
• Errors were categorized as theoretical or practice-based to identify specific knowledge gaps.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 96 nurses across 6 courses revealed key areas of difficulty.
• Theoretical knowledge gaps were most prominent in geriatric trauma, massive transfusion, and traumatic brain injury.
• Practical skill deficits were most common in dislocated extremity management, basic airway management, and shock management.

Conclusions:

• Regularly identifying and categorizing knowledge gaps in ATCN examinations is vital.
• This data enables the creation of effective teaching aids for instructors.
• Improving trauma nurses' knowledge through targeted education enhances overall trauma care quality.