Cross-sectional survey identifies two knowledge, attitude and practice profiles among Chinese ICU nurses

A cross-sectional survey involving 640 valid responses from 696 ICU nurses across 62 hospitals in China identified two latent profiles in nurses’ knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning post-delirium cognitive impairment in patients with severe pneumonia. The lower knowledge, attitude and practice profile accounted for 38.12% of respondents, while the higher profile accounted for 61.88%.

The survey was conducted in March 2025 using convenience sampling and a self-designed questionnaire. Investigators used latent profile analysis to identify distinct profiles among participating nurses. Univariate analysis and binary logistic regression were then used to examine factors associated with membership in the two profiles.

The median scores were 35 points for knowledge, with an interquartile range of 29 to 39; 24 points for attitudes, with an interquartile range of 22 to 28; and 11 points for practices, with an interquartile range of 8 to 14. Regression analysis found that the number of years worked, experience caring for patients with severe pneumonia who developed delirium, and previous training related to cognitive impairment were associated with profile membership, with all reported p-values below 0.01. These statistical associations do not establish that the factors caused the profiles or demonstrate changes in knowledge, attitudes or practices.

The authors concluded that the presence of a lower-profile group representing more than one-third of respondents indicates a need for targeted professional training and standardized cognitive assessment and management procedures. The findings are based on a cross-sectional, convenience-sampled questionnaire study, so they cannot establish temporal relationships or causal effects and may not represent all ICU nurses in China or other settings. In addition, the supplied source is an abstract of an early open-access article marked for later replacement by the final version, limiting assessment of the full methods and results.

Subject of Research: Latent profiles of ICU nurses’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding post-delirium cognitive impairment in severe pneumonia

Article Title: ICU nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding post-delirium cognitive impairment in patients with severe pneumonia: a latent profile analysis

Article References: Luo, Y., Deng, X., Liu, C., Zhang, W., & Mi, J. (2026). ICU nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding post-delirium cognitive impairment in patients with severe pneumonia: a latent profile analysis. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05315-2

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12912-026-05315-2

Keywords: ICU nurses, severe pneumonia, post-delirium cognitive impairment, knowledge, attitudes, practices, latent profile analysis, cross-sectional survey, China, professional training, nurses, regarding