Development and Testing of a Short Knowledge Test to Evaluate Awareness of External Ventricular Drain Care Practices.

Background and Purpose: External ventricular drainage (EVD) care requires nurses to be knowledgeable about recommended practices to prevent complications and enhance patient safety. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a brief instrument assessing nurses' knowledge of EVD care practices.

Methods

This study was conducted with 247 nurses working in emergency, medical-surgical, and intensive care units. Item generation was based on a literature review and expert panel evaluation. Construct validity was examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and internal consistency was assessed using coefficient alpha.

Results

The final instrument consisted of seven items with a unidimensional structure. The scale demonstrated acceptable construct validity, good model fit, and high internal consistency (α = .915).

Conclusions

The EVD Care Knowledge Test is a valid and reliable tool for assessing nurses' knowledge of EVD care practices and may help identify educational needs in clinical settings.