The effect of epilepsy education on the knowledge and attitudes of nurses and technicians in a neurology clinic: A longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of epilepsy education provided to nurses and electroencephalography (EEG) technicians working in neurology clinics, on their knowledge and attitudes. METHOD: This quasi-experimental study, designed to evaluate the effectiveness of epilepsy education through repeated measurements, included 26 nurses and 4 EEG technicians. A pretest (T0) was administered before the training, followed by the epilepsy education session on the same day, and a posttest (T1) immediately after the training. To assess the effects of the intervention over time, the same measurement tools were administered at 6 months (T2) and 1 year (T3). To reinforce knowledge retention, retraining was provided, followed by an immediate posttest (T4). Knowledge levels were assessed using the Epilepsy Knowledge Level Test, and attitudes were evaluated using the Epilepsy Attitude Scale. RESULTS: The median age of the participants was 27 years (IQR 24-38). In the 'medical knowledge' subdimension of the knowledge test, the median pretest score was 41 (IQR 38-42). Although this level was maintained at the 6-month assessment, a statistically significant decline was observed at the end of the first year (39 [IQR 36-41]). Following retraining, the scores increased again (41 [IQR 39-42]). Similar findings were observed in the 'social' subdimension of the knowledge test, with a significant increase in scores after retraining compared to previous assessments (p = 0.002). No significant differences were found between measurements in terms of attitude to epilepsy scores (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although nurses and EEG technicians working with patients with epilepsy had relatively high baseline knowledge scores , periodic educational programs may be useful to reinforce knowledge retention. To maintain knowledge levels, periodic retraining with updated information may be recommended. Among participants with high baseline attitude scores, no significant change in attitudes was observed over time, possibly due to a ceiling effect.