A Study to Assess the Knowledge and Practice of Nurses on Prevention of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP), and to Seek Its Relationship with the Selected Factors at Selected Hospitals of Delhi and NCR

Abstract

Introduction:Ventilator associated pneumonia is one of the most frequent hospital acquired infectionsoccurring in intubated patients within 48 hours of endotrachial intubation[1][2]. Because VAP is associatedwith higher mortality, morbidity and costs[3], there is a need to keep a check on skills and knowledgeupgrading among the healthcare professions and especially nursing personnel on regular intervals, asthey are the prime care givers to the patients in intensive care units. Several healthcare agencies havedeveloped evidence based guidelines to prevent nosocomial infections in healthcare settings and withwhich various healthcare facilities had formulated certain care bundles to fend off VAP. [4][5][6]Methodology: In this study the knowledge & practice of nursing personnel on prevention of VentilatorAssociated Pneumonia were assessed using a structured knowledge questionnaire &structuredobservational checklist. Data from three selected tertiary care hospitals of Delhi & NCR region wereanalyzed &interpreted using descriptive & inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance.Results: Majority of the nurses were found to have adequate knowledge (54%) and practice (74%)scores. However there was no positive co-relation found for knowledge and practice of the nursesin preventing VAP, although factors as qualification, experience of nurses &any special training onprevention of VAP were found to have association with knowledge & practice of nurses.Conclusion : Knowledge and practice of nurses needs to be explored so as to deliver quality care topatients on ventilator.