Nurses’ knowledge regarding stomach cancer at specialized hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Stomach cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Nurses, as key health care provider, should possess adequate knowledge regarding the disease, including its prevention, diagnosis and management. Objective: To assess the level of nurses’ knowledge regarding stomach cancer at specialized hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 50 nurses using non-probability convenient sampling technique at the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICFRH), Dhaka, Bangladesh, Data were collected using self-administering 25 items stomach cancer knowledge questionnaire covering four dimensions. Descriptive statistics (mean, frequencies, percentages) were calculated using a scientific calculator. Results: The mean age of respondents was 31.28 years with the range of 26 to 40 years. The majority (88%) were female and 68% were Muslim by their religions. Most of the respondents (98%) were married. More than half of the respondents (60%) held Diploma in Nursing Science & Midwifery by their professional education. About 52% had 1-5 years of government service experience and 62% had experience in the cancer department. Overall, 42% nurses demonstrated a very good level of knowledge, 12% had a good level of knowledge, 18% had an average level of knowledge, 4% had a poor level of knowledge and 24% respondents had an excellent level of knowledge regarding stomach cancer. The mean overall knowledge score was 80.64 out of 100, indicating a very good level of knowledge. Higher professional education, and more experience in government and cancer hospitals were influenced greater knowledge than others regarding stomach cancer. Conclusion and Recommendations: The findings suggest the need for regular in-service education, specialized training programs and periodic assessment of nurses’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding stomach cancer to further enhance evidence based effective patient care.