2025, Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part A

Background: A minimally invasive medical procedure angioplasty is used to restore blood flow in narrowed or obstructed arteries, mainly those that supply the heart. It is commonly used to treat cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary artery disease (CAD), which is still one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. The procedure entails inserting a catheter into a blood vessel, usually the femoral or radial artery, and then guiding the catheter to the site of the blockage. A tiny balloon is then inflated at the catheter's tip to widen the artery, and in many cases, a stent is implanted to keep the vessel open, ensuring improved blood circulation.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge of nurses in the care of patients undergoing angioplasty.

Methodology: quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study. The study Conducted at Azadi Teaching Hospital’s Cardiology Department in Kirkuk, the setting was chosen for its role as a key referral center for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) 24th November 2024 to 1st June 2025. A convenient sampling method was used to select (60) nurses working in the Cardiology Department

Results: The study assessed nurses' knowledge of angioplasty using a 21-item self-scored questionnaire on a 3-Likert scale. Statistical measures included observed frequencies, percentages, mean scores, standard deviation, and relative adequacy. Responses were categorized into low, medium, and high levels, with 57.14% of items assigned to medium knowledge and 42.86% to high knowledge. Weak relationships were observed between knowledge scores and demographic factors such as gender, age, qualifications, experience, and workplace. Findings suggest that nurses' knowledge distribution is relatively uniform, reinforcing the generalizability of the questionnaire across the studied population, despite demographic differences having no statistically significant impact.

Conclusions: the findings highlight the nuanced understanding nurses have regarding angioplasty, with strong knowledge in general aspects but noticeable gaps in specific post-procedural concerns. While demographic factors such as gender, experience, and qualifications do not appear to significantly influence knowledge levels, the need for targeted educational interventions remains evident.