The Role Competence of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Nurses Regarding Pulmonary Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional...

Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is a critical disease characterized by increased pulmonary arterial pressure and the development of vascular resistance, which can lead to fatal outcomes if left untreated. Cardiovascular and Respiratory Nurses (CRNs) play a significant role in the management of PH; however, there is a lack of sufficient studies examining their role competence. This study aimed to investigate the role competencies of CRNs regarding PH. This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted at Istanbul Yedikule Chest Diseases Hospital with the participation of 85 CRNs. Data were collected using a personal characteristics form and Pulmonary Hypertension Inventory of the Role Competence (PHIRC). Data analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-Square, and post hoc Bonferroni tests. Among the nurses, 76.5% held a bachelor's degree, and 78.9% were working in clinical settings. The CRNs scored above mean level in all sub-dimensions of the PHIRC. The moderate scores for knowledge and symptom management, risk factors awareness of CRNs, and symptom identification, and the total score were 12.75 ± 1.92, 11.52 ± 1.91, 10.34 ± 2.48, and 34.67 ± 5, respectively. A significant increase in the role competence was observed as the frequency of encountering PH patients increased (p < 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that CRNs had above-moderate role competence regarding PH management. Additionally, nurses who frequently encountered PH patients demonstrated higher role competence, which may be related to maintaining active knowledge. Nurses in their first year of practice had higher knowledge levels, highlighting the necessity of periodic and high-quality training programs and courses on PH.