Understanding Blood Transfusion; an Assessment of Nurses' Knowledge in Birjand, Iran; A Cross-Sectional Study

Blood transfusion is a critical intervention in healthcare, with even minor negligence potentially leading to serious patient harm and eroding public trust in blood centers. It is essential for healthcare professionals involved in transfusion processes to possess adequate knowledge and skills. The implementation of hemovigilance systems in Iran, starting in 2009 and becoming mandatory in 2012, has played a significant role in improving the safety of transfusions. This study aims to assess the level of blood transfusion knowledge among nurses in hospital settings. A Cross-Sectional study was conducted on 107 nurses in three university-affiliated public hospitals in Birjand City (Imam Reza, Vali Asr, and Razi hospitals) during 2023-2024. The study targeted nurses working in blood-consuming departments, including operating rooms, ICUs, emergency units, and medical-surgical wards. The research was conducted one month after annual hemovigilance activities to evaluate knowledge in the context of recent protocols. Data were collected using a modified version of the Routine Blood Transfusion Knowledge Questionnaire (RBTKQ), comprising 33 multiple-choice and true/false questions across seven subscales. The total score of questionnaires was 55, and the minimum and maximum obtained scores was 11 and 43, respectively, and 33.24 as mean score. Based on the cut-off criteria defined in the Method section, 5 participants (5.1%) fell in the poor knowledge category, 47 (47.5%) in moderate, and 47 (47.5%) in good knowledge level. A significant correlation was observed between participation in in-service training and knowledge of pre-transfusion responsibilities (p = 0.009). Our findings exhibited moderate knowledge of blood transfusion and room for improvement, with 81% demonstrating medium knowledge levels. While knowledge of key practices exists, significant lacks remain, particularly in patient preparation and pre-transfusion responsibilities. Continuous education and institutional policies are crucial for improving competencies in transfusion practices.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12288-025-02154-0.