Addressing the Gap in Applying Standardized Nursing Practices for Neonates under Phototherapy

Abstract

Addressing gaps requires evaluating the extent to which current practices align withstandardized evidence-based guidelines for identifying strengths and weaknesses and improves caredelivery in unmet needs in neonates undergoing phototherapy. Aim: Address the gap in applyingstandardized nursing practices for neonates under phototherapy. Subjects and Methods: A crosssectional descriptive study was conducted on a total of 80 nurses including a simple random sampleof 40 nurses was selected from the Neonatal Hospital at Tanta University, and all 40 nurses at CairoUniversity Pediatric Hospital. Three tools were applied. Tool One: Questionnaire of Hospital SystemStructure Measure. Tool Two: Assessment of Nurses' Knowledge Questionnaire. Tool Three:Observation Assessment of Current Nurses' Practices against Standardized Guidelines of PhototherapyManagement. Results: Two thirds of the nurses at Tanta University demonstrated an average level ofknowledge and one third had good knowledge compared to an average level for all nurses at CairoUniversity with significantly statistical difference, the practice gaps revealed in all areas of currentnursing practices domains when compared to standardized guidelines, reached 47.0% practice gapswith Tanta University group compared to 34.5% for Cairo University group. Conclusion: The studyrevealed significant gaps in the current nurses’ practice across both hospital settings, compared withthe adopted standard guidelines. Recommendations: Hospital quality systems should adoptbenchmark standards for neonatal care under phototherapy to bridge knowledge and practices gaps,with ongoing training updates. Future research should evaluate newborn health outcomes based onimplementation of standardized practice guidelines.