Background: Spinal cord injury is a damage in the spinal
cord that communication
between brain and the rest of the body is disrupted, resulting in
a loss of movement and
sensation from below the level of injury. Damage to the spinal
cord can be caused by a
trauma like an accident, or as a result of infection or disease. Aim
This study was to assess
the nurses' knowledge and practice regarding caring for patients with spinal cord injury in
critical care unit. Research design: A descriptive exploratory design, utilized for the
conduction of the study, setting conducted at general intensive care unit and neurological
intensive care unit in Ain Shams University hospital. Study sample: A purposive sample of
50 nurses. Tools: Two tools were used for data collection were 1) nurses self-administered
questionnaire sheet. It included two parts. part one concerned with the assessment of the
demographic characteristics of the studied nurses and part two concerned with nurses
knowledge questionnaire regarding caring for patients with spinal cord injury.2) Nurses'
observational check list about nursing practice for patients with spinal cord injury to assess
nurses practice. Results; the result of the study showed that 54% of the studied nurses had
satisfactory total knowledge regarding caring for patients with spinal cord injury in critical
care unit and 58%of the studied nurses had an un satisfactory level of total practice regarding
caring for patients with spinal cord injury in critical care unit, the study finding revealed that
there was statically significant relation between nurses knowledge and their level of practice
regarding caring for patients with spinal cord injury. Conclusion: the current study
concluded that the studied nurses' knowledge and practice had statistically significant
relation between total knowledge and practice. Recommendation: recommended health care
setting should provide in-service educational programs and upgrading courses based on
evidence based guidelines to improve the nurses knowledge
and practice among patients
with spinal cord injury in critical care unit.