Impact of nursing guidelines on nurses’ knowledge and performance regarding to prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia in neonates

Abstract

Background: Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is a common syndrome in pediatrics primarily in infants and early childhood. Mechanical ventilation is one of the leading supportive modalities of management in the intensive care unit, but it conveys a lot of threats and complications. This study aimed to assess the impact of nursing guidelines on nurses’ knowledge and performance regarding to prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia in neonates through the following: 1) Assessment of nurses’ knowledge and performance regarding to prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia in neonates. 2) Designing, implementing and evaluating the impact of nursing guidelines on nurses’ knowledge and performance regarding to prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia in neonates.

Methods: Research design: A quasi-experimental design was utilized to conduct this study.  Settings: The study was convoyed at Maternity & Gynecological and Children’s Hospitals affiliated to Ain shams University Hospitals from neonatal intensive care units. Sample: A convenient sample method of forty three (43) nurses, and fifty (50) neonates’ infants on mechanical ventilation was included in the study as a single study group. Tools: The questionnaire format, the observation checklist and implementation of nursing guidelines was assessed the nurses’ knowledge and performance regarding to prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia in neonates. The implementation of nursing guidelines was premeditated as reference guidelines for nurses.

Results: There were statistically significant differences between mean scores of the pre and post test as regards nurses’ knowledge and performance regarding to prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia in neonates.

Conclusions: Application of the nursing guidelines has a positive outcome on improving nurses’ knowledge and performance regarding to prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia in neonates. Recommendations: The current study recommended that directing a written protocol for prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia in neonates to support satisfactory knowledge, and competent practices are actually required at neonatal intensive care units.