Nurses' Knowledge of Blood Transfusion Safety at Intensive Care Units in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aims to assess critical care nurses' knowledge of blood transfusion safety in a university hospital in Jordan. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 critical care nurses who completed a questionnaire assessing knowledge of transfusion procedures, safety protocols, and management of transfusion reactions. Of the participants, 58% were female, with a mean clinical experience of 9.37 years (SD = 5.4); 68% had more than 10 years of experience. The mean blood transfusion safety score was 18.9 (54%) out of 35 (SD = 5.92), indicating poor overall knowledge. Major gaps were noted in recognizing acute transfusion reactions (86.5%) and identifying drug restrictions during transfusion (74.5%). In contrast, most nurses were knowledgeable about informed consent (90.5%) and blood cross-matching (87%). Knowledge levels differed significantly by gender, education, experience, and workplace (P < .05), with intensive care unit nurses scoring lower than those in emergency, burn, or dialysis units. Multiple linear regression showed that the workplace was the only significant predictor, explaining 10.3% of the variance. Significant knowledge gaps in transfusion safety were identified, underscoring the need for targeted education and training to improve nurses' competency, enhance patient safety, and reduce transfusion-related adverse outcomes.