ASSESSMENT OF NURSES’ KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE REGARDING PEDIATRIC ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE SUCTIONING IN PUBLIC SECTOR HOSPITALS OF DISTRICT CHARSADDA, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN
Keywords:
Knowledge, Practice, Nurses, Pediatric, Endotracheal tube suctioning.Abstract
Background: Endotracheal suctioning (ETS) is an essential invasive procedure performed by critical care nurses (CCNs) to clear pulmonary secretions in patients, crucial for maintaining airway patency and ensuring adequate ventilation and oxygenation in intubated individuals.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study in Charsadda involved 119 nurses out of 171 nurses in public sector hospitals of district charsadda, conducted over 5 months. The sample size was determined with a 95% confidence level and a 5% significance level using Raosoft software and convenient sampling.
Results: In a study of 119 nurses, 97% were female, primarily aged 36 to 47, with 66.4% holding diplomas. Notably, 80% lacked ICU training, The knowledge assessment showed that 27% of respondents had excellent knowledge, 60% had good knowledge, and 13% inadequate knowledge. In suctioning practices, 85% reported excellent practices, 15% good practices, and none had inadequate practices.
Conclusion: District charsadda hospital employees demonstrate high proficiency in endotracheal suctioning but show significant gaps in safety compliance and specialized training. Hand hygiene and PPE adherence are low, and the predominantly female workforce lacks formal ICU training. Targeted interventions are required to enhance patient safety, with hospital administrators needing to enforce infection control procedures and mandate ICU training programs.
Recommendations: In pediatric care, standardizing suctioning protocols, ensuring resource availability, and conducting regular skills audits for nurses are essential. Recommendations include enhancing education through in-service training and updated curricula, alongside policy improvements such as standardized guidelines and better staffing ratios. Future research should assess intervention effectiveness, barriers to best practices, and the link between nursing practices and patient outcomes. Collaborative efforts are vital for improving suctioning safety and effectiveness.
