title: Nurses caring for ENT patients in a district general hospital without a dedicated ENT ward score significantly less in a test of knowledge than nurses caring for ENT patients in a dedicated ENT ward in a comparable district general hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether there is a difference in ENT knowledge amongst nurses caring for patients on a dedicated ENT ward and nurses caring for ENT patients in a similar hospital without a dedicated ENT ward.
  
  
  METHODS
  A test of theoretical knowledge of ENT nursing care was devised and administered to nurses working on a dedicated ENT ward and then to nurses working on generic non-subspecialist wards regularly caring for ENT patients in a hospital without a dedicated ENT ward. The test scores were then compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single specialist ENT/Maxillo-Facial/Opthalmology ward in hospital A and 3 generic surgical wards in hospital B. Both hospitals are comparable district general hospitals in the south west of England.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nursing staff working in hospital A and hospital B on the relevant wards were approached during the working day. 11 nurses on ward 1, 10 nurses on ward 2, 11 nurses on ward 3 and 10 nurses on ward 4 (the dedicated ENT ward).
  
  
  METHODS
  Each individual test score was used to generate an average score per ward and these scores compared to see if there was a significant difference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average score out of 10 on ward 1 was 6.8 (+/-1.6). The average score on ward two was 4.8 (+/-1.6). The average score on ward three was 5.5 (+/-2.1). The average score on ward 4, which is the dedicated ENT ward, was 9.7 (+/-0.5). The differences in average test score between the dedicated ENT ward and all of the other wards are statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses working on a dedicated ENT ward have an average higher score in a test of knowledge than nurses working on generic surgical wards. This difference is statistically significant and persists despite banding or training.
authors.affiliation: Severn Deanery, Bath, UK.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Foxton
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muhlschlegel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jardine
mesh_terms: D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006769:Hospitals, General; D010036:Otolaryngology; D010038:Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases / Q000451:nursing*