Relationship between professional experience and nutrition education on nutritional care among surgical nurses

Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols highlight the importance of nutritional assessment and support in postoperative care. Nurses are central to implementing these practices, yet knowledge gaps persist. This study examined the relationships between professional experience and nutrition education on nurses' attitudes, knowledge, and perceived quality of nutritional care in surgical settings.

A descriptive, correlational study was conducted with nurses (n = 133) in surgical and adult intensive care units. Data were collected using a healthcare worker identification form and a validated scale assessing attitudes, knowledge, and perceived quality of nutritional care. Analyses included descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and correlation analyses.

Over half (54.1%) were knowledgeable about the ERAS-related nutritional assessment and support, and 37.6% had received perioperative nutrition training. Mean scores indicated above-average attitudes toward nutritional assessment (23.35 ± 3.97), perceived quality of nutritional care (30.72 ± 8.65), and knowledge of nutritional care (27.87 ± 4.29). Nurses with postgraduate education had higher average attitude and knowledge scores regarding the importance of nutritional assessment compared to others (p = 0.01). Nurses who viewed nutrition as an ERAS element in nutritional assessment had higher average attitude scores regarding the importance of nutritional assessment (p = 0.01). A weak but significant positive correlation was observed between years of experience in surgical clinics and knowledge scores (r = 0.194, p = 0.03).

Surgical nurses demonstrated above-moderate scores in all subdimensions of the Nutrition Care Assessment Scale. Higher educational level, awareness of ERAS-related nutritional assessment and support, and longer surgical nursing experience were associated with greater knowledge and more positive attitudes toward nutritional care.