Enhancing Knowledge of Neurological Examination Among Nursing Students and Staff Nurses Through Structured Teaching Programme: An Experimental Study.

Abstract

Neurological examination is a fundamental component of patient assessment, requiring adequate knowledge and clinical competence among nursing professionals. This experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured teaching programme in enhancing the knowledge of nursing students and staff nurses regarding neurological examination of patients in Himachal Pradesh. A pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was adopted, and a total of 15 participants were selected using a simple random sampling. Baseline knowledge was assessed using a structured questionnaire covering key domains such as mental status examination, cranial nerves, motor system, reflexes, coordination, and gait.
The pre-test results revealed inadequate knowledge among participants, with low mean scores and a higher proportion of incorrect responses, particularly in areas related to reflexes and specific neurological tests. Following this, a structured teaching programme was administered. Post-test findings demonstrated a significant improvement in knowledge, with most participants achieving near-perfect scores and minimal variability. The paired t-test analysis showed a highly significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores (t = -13.229, p < 0.001), indicating the effectiveness of the intervention.
The study concludes that structured teaching programmes are highly effective in improving knowledge of neurological examination among nursing personnel. It is recommended that such educational interventions be regularly incorporated into nursing education and in-service training to enhance clinical competency and improve patient care outcomes.