Intensive care nurses knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for preventing ventilator associated pneumonia

Abstract

Background: Ventilated Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common nosocomial infections and complication that occur in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) worldwide. It has become a major challenge worldwide and in South Africa where the patient mortality rate is 37.5%. Evidence-based guidelines exist for the prevention of VAP, which is highly effective in the reduction of VAP in ICUs. However, there are inconsistency in practices and different opinions amongst the intensive care nurses regarding the evidence-based VAP prevention guidelines. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of intensive care nurses with regards to current evidence-based guidelines for preventing VAP in five adults ICUs of an Academic Hospital in Johannesburg. Setting: This research study was conducted in five Adult’s ICUs (General ICUs, Trauma ICUs, Neurological ICUs, Cardiothoracic ICUs and Acute Coronary Care Units) at the Academic Hospital, in Johannesburg. Design and Methods: This study uses a non-experimental, descriptive survey and correlational research design consisting of a questionnaire with multiple questions options and one correct response. This questionnaire has been developed, validated and tested by Labeau et al. (2007) in Belgium. The sample size comprises of 94 (n=94) intensive care nurses respondents from the adult intensive care units (n=5), and a non-probability convenience sampling methods was used to select the study participants. The questionnaire is divided into two sections: the first section comprises a demographic description of participant and second section comprises nine (9) items on preventative interventions on VAP for nurses (Labeau et al., 2007). Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyse data collected in this study. The descriptive statistics was reported as percentage and frequency. Statistical testing was done on the 0.05 (p<0.05) level of significance. Results: The intensive care nurses mean score in knowledge test was 44% and there was no significant (p>0.05) difference in knowledge based on years of experience in ICUs and different level of nursing qualification. Conclusion: The intensive care nurses demonstrated poor knowledge of the evidence-based guideline for VAP prevention. In-service training or educational training programme on VAP prevention should be render to the intensive care nurses in this research study setting through continuous education.