Preparing nurses for taking care of patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and their sense of selfefficacy

Aim
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy provides a means of feeding patients when natural oral intake is impossible. Appropriate PEG care not only prevents complications but also improves patients’ comfort and their quality of life.

Aim
An analysis of the correlation between nurses’ knowledge about care provided to PEG patients and their sense of self-efficacy.

Material and methods
The study was conducted in a group of 85 nurses participating in various forms of postgraduate courses dedicated to nurses from Małopolska region. It was carried out with the application of Generalized Self- -Efficacy Scale (GSES) and a specially designed questionnaire consisting of two parts, first of which was focused on basic sociodemographic data, whereas the other one included questions checking the level of knowledge about taking care of patients with PEG.

Results
The average score obtained by the respondents in the test checking their knowledge was 17.9 (SD=6.80), and the high or average level of knowledge about taking care of PEG patients was observed in the case of 32.94% of respondents (n=28). No statistically significant correlation was found between nurses’ knowledge and their sense of self-efficacy (p>0.05).

Conclusions
1. The level of nurses’ knowledge about taking care of patients with PEG is unsatisfactory. 2. The type of nurses’ professional education and their workplace had a significant impact on their level of knowledge about taking care of patients with PEG. 3. It is necessary to constantly improve the qualifications of the nursing staff in the care of patients with PEG.