Knowledge of Pediatric Critical Care Nurses Regarding Evidence Based Guidelines for Prevention of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP)

Abstract

ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a costly, preventable, and often fatal consequence of medical therapy that increases hospital and intensive care stays in mechanically ventilated patients. The prevention of VAP is primarily the responsibility of the bedside nurse whose knowledge, beliefs, and practices influence the health outcome of ICU patients. Unfortunately little is known about the degree of nursing knowledge on evidence based guidelines for  the  prevention  of  VAP. This descriptive study aimed to assess knowledge of pediatric critical care nurses regarding evidence based guidelines for prevention of VAP in both pediatric and neonatal  intensive care units. The current study revealed inadequate knowledge of pediatric critical care nurses regarding evidence based guidelines for prevention of ventilator associated. There is strong correlation between years of experiences, previous training on guidelines of prevention of VAP  and knowledge of nurses on the evidence based guidelines for prevention of VAP. Moreover, there is no correlation  between  age and knowledge of nurses on evidence based guidelines for prevention of VAP. The study concluded that written unit protocols should be present and reviewed regularly as updates and new evidence for best practice are constantly emerging and staff should be educated on the updated protocols.

Keywords: Knowledge, pediatric critical care nurses, evidence based guidelines, Ventilator Associated      Pneumonia (VAP)