ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Introduction: Thrombolytic therapy is widely used to treat acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Nurses in coronary care units are frequently the first to evaluate patients, monitor their condition, and deliver prescription thrombolytic medication. Few research has looked at nurses' competence and proficiency in the Coronary Care Unit on thrombolytic therapy in myocardial infarction patients in Cardiac Center at Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia. Aim: The general aim of this study is to evaluate nurses' competence and practice regarding thrombolytic therapy in myocardial infarction patients in the Coronary Care Unit of the Cardiac Center in Hail, Saudi Arabia. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and proficiency of nurses in managing thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction. Methodology: The study used a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional approach to examine nurses' knowledge and practice of thrombolytic treatment. Registered professional nurses (n=100) working in coronary care unit (CCU) were invited to participate. A structured, pre-validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The study received approval from the institutional review board and ethics committee. Data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Setting: The study was conducted in the Coronary Care Unit of the Cardiac Center, Hail, Saudi Arabia. Subjects: A convenience sample of 100 nurses working in the Coronary Care Unit participated in the study. Results: A total of 100 nurses took part in the study. The mean knowledge score was 1.18 (SD = 0.36), and the mean practice score was 1.29 (SD = 0.39), demonstrating good levels of knowledge and practice related thrombolytic treatment. There were no statistically significant variations in nurses' knowledge ratings according to gender (t = 0.423, p = 0.140), age (F = 1.48, p = 0.231), or years of experience (F = 2.77, p > 0.05). There were no significant variations in practice scores according to age (F = 4.39, p > 0.05) or gender (t = 0.223, p = 0.710). However, there was a statistically significant difference in practice ratings based on years of experience (F = 4.77, p = 0.004), showing that nurses with more experience displayed stronger levels of practice competence. Linear regression analysis showed that nurses' knowledge of thrombolytic treatment was a significant predictor of their practice level (B = 1.093, t = 6.73, p 0.001), indicating that increasing knowledge leads to enhanced clinical practice. Conclusion: The study revealed that nurses at the Coronary Care Unit of the Cardiac Centre in Hail, Saudi Arabia, displayed adequate knowledge and practice in thrombolytic therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarctions. While demographic characteristics had no significant influence on knowledge, years of experience had a substantial impact on practice. Additionally, nurses' knowledge was shown to be a substantial predictor of their clinical practice.
Baig, M. U., & Bodle, J. (2021). Thrombolytic Therapy. In StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
Barakat-Johnson, M., Barnett, C., Wand, T., & White, K. (2018). Knowledge and attitudes of nurses toward pressure injury prevention: a cross-sectional multisite study. Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing, 45(3), 233–237.
Dehghani, H., Heidari, F., Karimian, Z., & Salimi, T. (2019). Critical care nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice in teaching hospitals. Journal of Community Health, 8(2).
Essa, C. D., Victor, G., Khan, S. F., Ally, H., & Khan, A. S. (2023). Cognitive biases regarding utilization of emergency severity index among emergency nurses. American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 73, 63–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2023.06.017
Ghonem, G. E., Hassan, M. S., Mohamed, Y. M., & Hussieny, S. (2022). Assessment of nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding thrombolytic therapy among patients with acute myocardial infarction. Trends in Nursing & Health Care Journal, 2(5), 62–83.
Ghonem, G. E., Mohamed, Y. M., Gaballah, S. H., & Hassan, M. S. (2022). Effect of educational program on nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding thrombolytic therapy among patients with acute myocardial infarction. American Journal of Nursing Research, 10(2), 58–66. https://doi.org/10.12691/ajnr-10-2-3
Hanson, R., & Haddad, L. (2021). Nursing competencies in critical care. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 112, 103742.
Mellon, L., Hasan, H., Lee, S., Williams, D., & Hickey, A. (2015). Knowledge of thrombolytic therapy amongst hospital staff: preliminary results and treatment implications. Stroke, 46(12), 3551–3553.
Osman, M., Youssef, F., & Ibrahim, R. (2022). Nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction: A Saudi Arabian perspective. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 12(5), 23–32.
Perry, S., Smith, C., & Jones, D. (2021). Critical care nursing: Knowledge and practice in AMI management. Nursing Practice Today, 7(3), 101–110.
Shaaban Khalil, N., Sayed Ismaeel, M., & Sayed Ewees, A. (2018). Thrombolytic therapy in acute MI: coronary care nurses' knowledge and practice. British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, 13(8), 376–384.
Sambu, B. M. H. (2018). Effect of a training program on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding nursing care of AMI patients. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Gezira.
Skal, B. M., & Ahmed, S. A. (2021). Effectiveness of an educational program on nurses' knowledge about risk factors for bleeding in AMI patients receiving thrombolytic therapy. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 15(3), 45–52.
Yusoff, M. S. B. (2019). ABC of content validation and content validity index calculation. Education in Medicine Journal, 11(2), 49–54. https://doi.org/10.21315/eimj2019.11.2.6
Alshammari, N. (2026). Nursing Competence in Thrombolytic Therapy for Myocardial Infarction in among Nurses in the Coronary Care Unit of the Cardiac Center, Hail, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(3), 359-372.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode