Assessment of Nurses' Knowledge Regarding Nursing Management of Heart Failure in Teaching Hospitals of Kirkuk City: A Comparative Study

Ismail Anwer  Jaber*; Dr. Salah Mohammed Salih Hassan

Authors

Ismail Anwer Jaber* MSc Student. Adult Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Kirkuk, Iraq
Dr. Salah Mohammed Salih Hassan PhD, Adult Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Kirkuk, Iraq

Keywords:

Nurses, Knowledge, Nursing Management, Heart failure

Abstract

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a progressive disease that worsens over time and occurs as a result of the heart muscle's inability to pump blood sufficiently. Heart failure affects millions of people and poses a major public health challenge.

The Aim of the Study: To assess and compare the knowledge levels of nurses about nursing management of heart failure patients in two teaching hospitals of Kirkuk City.

Methodology: A comparative, cross-sectional design was used to conduct this study. A non-probability (purposive) sampling technique was used to recruit 82 nurses who provide care in the cardiac care units of two teaching hospitals in Kirkuk City. The research tool was designed by the researcher, and is composed of two parts: Part I: about demographic and professional data and Part II: regarding knowledge, consisting of 12 questions in the form of multiple-choice, focused on nursing management of heart Failure. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and then analyzed and interpreted using the application of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0, utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results of the study: At Azadi Teaching Hospital, 51.2% of nurses had average knowledge, 41.5% had good knowledge, and 7.3% had poor knowledge. At Kirkuk Teaching Hospital, 68.3% of nurses had average knowledge, 24.4% had a good knowledge level, and 7.3% had poor knowledge.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the majority of nurses had average knowledge in both hospitals.

Recommendation: The study recommended the need to intensify training courses and encourage nurses to participate in these courses to move to optimal knowledge levels.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alshammari, B., Alanazi, L., Dardouri, M., Aouicha, W., Tlili, M. A., Alkubati, S. A., Alrasheeday, A., Almuaiqli, A. M., Alqahtani, A. S., Alanazi, M. S., Alshammri, A. D., Alanazi, F. M., Alshammrey, N. S., Motakef, H. I., &Alshammari, F. (2025). Exploring Nurses’ Knowledge of and Attitudes Towards the Management of Patients with Heart Failure in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Design. Healthcare, 13(5), 522. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13050522

Azevedo, P. R. D., Sousa, M. M. D., Oliveira, J. D. S., Freire, M. E. M., Matos, S. D. D. O., & Oliveira, S. H. D. S. (2018). Conhecimento de enfermeirossobreinsuficiênciacardíaca: Estudocomparativo. Enfermería Global, 17(2), 30–64. https://doi.org/10.6018/eglobal.17.2.289391

Becher, P. M., Lund, L. H., Coats, A. J., &Savarese, G. (2022). An update on global epidemiology in heart failure.‏https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehac248

Chaudhry, R., Mahmood, A., Ullah, I., Urra, E. P., Masmoum, M. D., Atif, A., … Ahmed, H. (2024). Heart Failure: Causes, Symptoms, and Management Strategies. Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research, 36(8), 335–345. https://doi.org/10.9734/jammr/2024/v36i85551

Demissie, B. M., Bekele, D. M., Habte, T., & Wake, A. D. (2021). Knowledge, Attitude and Associated Factors Towards Heart Failure Management Among Nurses Working in the Cardiac Unit of Selected Government Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Nursing: Research and Reviews, Volume 11, 41–53. https://doi.org/10.2147/NRR.S329363

Fraser, M., Barnes, S. G., Barsness, C., Beavers, C., Bither, C. J., Boettger, S., Hallman, C., Keleman, A., Leckliter, L., McIlvennan, C. K., Ozemek, C., Patel, A., Pierson, N. W., Shakowski, C., Thomas, S. C., Whitmire, T., & Anderson, K. M. (2024). Nursing care of the patient hospitalized with heart failure: A scientific statement from the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses. Heart & Lung, 64, e1–e16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2024.01.007

Ghani, S., Ali, N., Ghani, N., &Khattak, I. (2023). Level of Nurses Knowledge Regarding Heart Failure Education in Three Major Hospitals of Peshawar. Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research, 3(2), 401–406. https://doi.org/10.61919/jhrr.v3i2.142

Groenewegen, A., Rutten, F. H., Mosterd, A., & Hoes, A. W. (2020). Epidemiology of heart failure. European journal of heart failure, 22(8), 1342-1356.‏https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.1858

Heidenreich, P. A., Bozkurt, B., Aguilar, D., Allen, L. A., Byun, J. J., Colvin, M. M., ... & Evers, L. R. (2022). AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines., 2022, 79.‏https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001063

Hinkle, J. L., Cheever, K. H., &Overbaugh, K. J. (2022). Brunner &Suddarth’s textbook of medical-surgical nursing (15th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Khan, M. S., Shahid, I., Bennis, A., Rakisheva, A., Metra, M., & Butler, J. (2024). Global epidemiology of heart failure. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 21(10), 717–734. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-024-01046-6

Shams, P., Malik, A., &Chhabra, L. (2025). Heart failure (congestive heart failure). In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.‏https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430873/

World Health Organization.( 31 July 2025). Cardiovascular Diseases(CVDs).https://www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)