Opioid Policy Compliance Among ICU Nurses in Gaza's Health Ministry

The global opioid crisis has drawn urgent attention to safe medication practices, especially in critical care. In the Gaza Strip, challenges like resource scarcity, displacement, and high workloads complicate opioid management. This study assessed compliance with opioid medication policies among ICU nurses in Ministry of Health hospitals in Southern Gaza. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used, targeting all ICU nurses (n = 126) at three major hospitals through a structured self-administered questionnaire. Compliance was evaluated across three domains: monitoring practices, nursing interaction (handover and communication), and documentation. Results showed highest compliance in documentation (83.75%), followed by monitoring (74.00%) and nursing interaction (73.00%), with an overall mean compliance of 76.25%. No significant gender differences were found. However, displacement, workload, and lack of recent training negatively affected adherence.

Autorentext

Miss Ferdws H. Abu Mosa holds a Master's degree in Critical Care Nursing, a Bachelor's in Nursing (2019), and a Bachelor's in Midwifery (2018). She has experience in labor and delivery, gynecology, antenatal care, surgery, burns, and pediatric intensive care units.