Knowledge and Attitude of Nursing Staff Toward Surgical Checklist Use at Federal Medical Centre, Yola

The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist has demonstrated significant reductions in preventable surgical mortality and complications globally, yet its effective implementation in Nigerian hospitals remains inconsistent. This study assesses the knowledge and attitude of nursing staff toward the use of the surgical safety checklist at Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola, Adamawa State, North East Nigeria, in 2023. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 80 theatre and surgical ward nurses using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Knowledge was assessed across three domains: sign-in, time-out, and sign-out procedures. Attitude was evaluated using a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were applied. Adequate knowledge of all three checklist phases was demonstrated by only 37% of respondents. Nurses who had received formal checklist training scored significantly higher (p=0.001). Positive attitudes toward checklist use were expressed by 74% of respondents, though many identified time pressure, physician resistance, and lack of institutional enforcement as barriers to consistent application. The study recommends mandatory surgical safety checklist training for all theatre personnel, institutional endorsement of checklist culture by hospital management, and periodic audit of checklist compliance at FMC Yola. Scaling these recommendations across North East Nigeria's public health facilities is advised. Keywords: surgical safety checklist, WHO, nursing knowledge, Yola, patient safety