KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF NURSES TOWARDS PREOPERATIVE CAREOF SURGICAL PATIENTS AT KAMPALA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITYTEACHING HOSPITALBUSHENYI DISTRICT

The study was focused on the knowledge, and practices of nurses towards preoperative care of surgical patients at KIU-TH Bushenyi districts.The purpose of the study wasto asses nurse’s knowledge and practices towards preoperative care of surgical patients at KIU -TH Bushenyi district. This study adopted a cross sectional study design using quantitative research approach to collect data and 35 respondents were involved, nurses on surgical, orthopaedic, and accident and emergency wards were involved in the study.According to the study, nurses have good quite good knowledge about preoperative care based on the fact that most of them clearly defined it well. The study found out that the majority of the respondents agreed that the aim of preoperative care is to prepare patients for surgery while the least strongly agreed. Response on whether there is need for nurses to establish good rapport with patients before they go for surgery in order to promote trust between the nurse and the patient showed that the majority of the patients strongly agreed while the least strongly disagreed. A big number of respondents disagreed on developing nursing care plans for the patients, while only a few strongly agreed with it.Few respondents strongly agreed that they alwaysmonitor vital observations prior to surgery while the majority strongly disagreed with it.