Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the self-reported adherence of ambulance nurses to acute chest pain guidelines and analyse how demographic and professional characteristics influence this adherence. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Regional ambulance service in southern Sweden (18 ambulance stations). PARTICIPANTS: Ambulance nurses (registered and specialist nurses). Of the 397 ambulance nurses invited, 261 responded (65.7%) in 2023. DATA ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics; independent-samples t-tests and χ(2) tests for group comparisons; Pearson correlation; and stepwise linear regression to identify predictors of adherence. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary: adherence to the prehospital acute chest pain guideline, measured with the 5-item Self-Reported Adherence scale (5-25). Secondary: medication-specific adherence; guideline-access sources. METHOD: A cross-sectional study involving 261 ambulance nurses from 18 ambulance stations in southern Sweden. Adherence to acute chest pain guidelines was assessed using a validated instrument. Data collected in autumn 2023 were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including stepwise linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The study revealed an average self-reported adherence score of 19.2 out of 25 for acute chest pain guidelines. Mobile applications were the most commonly used source for accessing acute chest pain guidelines, while ambulance managers were the least used. Notably, older and more experienced ambulance nurses reported higher adherence scores. Additionally, a positive attitude towards the guidelines was correlated with higher adherence. Prioritisation of guidelines and age were predictors of adherence. In contrast, other demographic variables, such as sex and specialist nursing education, were not found to be associated with adherence. CONCLUSION: The study indicates that self-reported adherence to acute chest pain guidelines among ambulance nurses is influenced by how highly they prioritise these guidelines and by their attitudes towards them, as well as their age and professional experience. Enhancing educational programmes and digital resources, particularly for younger and less experienced nurses, may improve adherence and patient outcomes in prehospital settings.