PP050 - MALNUTRITION IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS: AN ASSESSMENT OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS’ FACTUAL AND PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE
PP050
MALNUTRITION IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS: AN ASSESSMENT OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS’ FACTUAL AND PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE
M. E. Demirer1,*, A. Gerlach1, C. Petersen-Ewert2
1Department of Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 2Faculty of Health, University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
Rationale: Malnutrition is common among critically ill patients, and nurses play a key role in nutritional care. Therefore, this study aimed to assess intensive care unit (ICU) nurses’ factual and practical knowledge of malnutrition and identify knowledge gaps.
Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in Germany from March to June 2025 in two parts. In part A nurses’ knowledge using the online Knowledge of Malnutrition Geriatric 2.0 questionnaire via social media platforms was assessed. In part B practical knowledge via a researcher-developed case study in a randomly selected subsample (n = 10) was evaluated. Data were analysed using SPSS with descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis; p < 0.05). Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (2025-09).
Results: A total of n=107 nursing professionals were included in the study. 61% had an average level of knowledge. Questions on the nutritional team and screening showed the lowest correct response rates, at 33% and 28%, respectively. In addition, nurses with less than three years of professional experience scored significantly higher in the knowledge test (p < 0.05). The participants demonstrated varying knowledge regarding the case study.
Conclusion: Knowledge levels were found to be moderate, with notable gaps in nutritional team involvement and screening, despite guideline recommendations. Nurses with less than three years' professional experience demonstrated higher knowledge scores, which suggests that knowledge may decline with increasing years of practice. This could be due to a reduced focus on malnutrition in routine ICU care. These findings emphasise the importance of ongoing educational initiatives to maintain up-to-date knowledge and raise awareness in order to support evidence-based nutritional management in intensive care.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared