Nurses' knowledge, attitude and practice of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in Shanghai China: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of nurses in China regarding chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). The findings will provide valuable insights for developing national standardized guidelines for CINV prevention and management, as well as targeted training programs for nurses. Methods: From March 5 to April 30, 2023, we recruited nurses working in chemotherapy-related roles in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Shanghai. A questionnaire assessing nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice related to CINV was used to evaluate their proficiency in these areas. Results: A total of 362 nurses participated in our study. 6.1% of nurses having a poor knowledge score and 1.9% had a general attitude score. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant associations between attitude score and practice score (r = 0.759; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that Knowledge, attitude and practice scores influence each other. Regression analysis showed that hospital level, age, sex, years of service, education, specialty department and training manager were statistically significant predictors. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that nurses exhibit positive attitudes and behaviors towards CINV; however, there is a lack of sufficient knowledge regarding CINV-related issues. Moreover, we observed that CINV-related knowledge can directly or indirectly influence CINV-related behaviors through attitude, underscoring the importance of implementing unified CINV guidelines in hospitals. Regular training and evaluation programs should be organized to enhance nurses' knowledge, attitude, and behaviors related to CINV.