Evaluation of nurses’ knowledge and prevention practices of ventilator associated morbidities in critical care unit, Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Background information: Mechanical ventilation is an essential, life-saving intervention. As it saves life, this treatment may bring forth lung infections and/or complications to the patient hence morbidity. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance, terms this morbidity as Ventilator-Associated Events (VAE). VAE increases the length of ventilator support, ICU stay and mortality to the patients. Research objective: To evaluate Nurses’ knowledge and prevention practices on VAE in CCU, KNH. Significance: To enhance awareness of VAE prevention and encourage its surveillance in the Hospital. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional design was undertaken where 82 nurses were recruited in the study using convenience method and all patients who were in the unit in the month of April were censured. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used and data analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics to describe and show the relationship between the variables. Results: The prevalence rate of VAE in the month of April 2015 in CCU KNH was 5.63 per 1000 episodes of mechanical ventilation. 54.9% of nurses had adequate Knowledge of VAE prevention while 68.4% practiced most of the prevention interventions. Knowledge was positively related to the practices with a Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient of r = 0.729. Both knowledge and practice showed a positive association to VAE prevalence with a Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient of r = 0.685 and 0.908 respectively. The study revealed a strong positive relationship between the independent variables and the prevalence of VAE at a coefficient of determination of 0. 825; A unit change in knowledge of VAE prevention will result into a -0.044 change in prevalence of VAE while a unit’s change on the practices will result in a -0.709 change. All the variables tested were statistically significant with p-values less than 0.05. Conclusion: The prevalence of VAE in CCU, KNH can be explained by a large percentage that lacked adequate knowledge and omission of some care interventions by the most of the nurses working in the unit. Enhancing knowledge and VAE prevention practices can reduce the VAE prevalence. Recommendation: Review of infection control curriculum, staffs progressive development, development of VAE care bundles and participation in VAE surveillance