Assessment of Nurses’ Knowledge and Practices Regarding Thrombolytic Therapy in Myocardial Infarction at Tertiary Care Hospitals of Peshawar

Abstract

Background: Thrombolytic therapy is an important reperfusion strategy in myocardial infarction, particularly where timely primary percutaneous coronary intervention is unavailable or delayed. Nurses play a central role in patient assessment, drug preparation, monitoring, documentation, complication recognition, and patient education during thrombolytic therapy. Objective: To assess nurses’ knowledge and self-reported practices regarding thrombolytic therapy in myocardial infarction at tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from August to November 2025 among 135 registered nurses working in emergency, intensive care, coronary care, and cardiology-related units of tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar. Participants were selected using convenience sampling from an accessible population of 207 nurses. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, and self-reported practices regarding thrombolytic therapy. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize frequencies and percentages. Results: Most participants were aged 26–30 years (68.9%), female (68.1%), and BSN graduates (75.6%). ICU nurses formed the largest departmental group (34.8%), and 49.6% had 4–6 years of experience. Prior thrombolytic therapy training was reported by 41.5% of participants. Among valid responses, 78.0% had good knowledge and 84.6% reported desirable practice. Conclusion: Most nurses demonstrated good knowledge and desirable self-reported practices, although fewer than half had received formal thrombolytic therapy training. Structured competency-based training and standardized clinical protocols are recommended