Preventive Knowledge on Venous Thromboembolism and Its Influencing Factors among Clinical Nurses at Dalian Fourth People’s Hospital

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) continues to be the primary cause of morbidity and mortality due to preventable events among admitted patients, but lack of knowledge of nurses still limits the application of evidence-based practices on VTE prevention. Serving as frontline providers of care, clinical nurses have a significant role in risk assessment, application of interventions, and recognizing possible problems related to VTE. This research identified the knowledge level of clinical nurses about VTE prevention and their association with certain socio-demographic factors and VTE training. The descriptive-correlational research design was adopted among clinical nurses from a tertiary-transition hospital. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire that included respondents' socio-demographic data, experience in VTE-related training, and the Clinical Nurses' VTE Prevention Knowledge Questionnaire. the study included 121 clinical nurses selected proportionally from four VTE high-risk departments, exceeding the calculated minimum sample size of 120. The use of stratified random sampling strengthened the representativeness of the sample, while the analysis of significant associations provided evidence regarding factors related to the study's VTE-related outcomes. Descriptive statistics were performed to identify the characteristics of the respondents and their knowledge levels. The association between the socio-demographic factors and the knowledge level of VTE prevention was determined by using the Fisher-Freeman-Halton Exact Test. The relationship between VTE training and VTE preventive knowledge was evaluated using Spearman's Rank Correlation. Findings revealed that respondents demonstrated a moderate level of VTE preventive knowledge. Knowledge was highest in VTE fundamentals and lowest in VTE risk assessment, indicating stronger foundational knowledge than competency in identifying patients at risk for VTE. Sex and highest educational level were significantly associated with selected domains of VTE preventive knowledge, whereas age, professional title, years of clinical experience, and departmental assignment were generally not associated with knowledge. Exposure to VTE-related training likewise showed no significant relationship with any knowledge domain or with overall VTE preventive knowledge. The findings indicate the need to strengthen nurses' competency in VTE prevention, particularly in risk assessment and the clinical application of evidence-based preventive measures.