Nurses knowledge about secretion suctioning from tracheostomy tube before and after training

Abstract

Background Suctioning of secretions from tracheostomy tube is associated with a high risk for the patient's health. Therefore, it is important that nurses have scientific evidence-based knowledge about the safe performance of the procedure. Objectives To analyze nurses' knowledge about secretion suctioning from tracheostomy tube before and after the training. Methods​ The study was conducted in Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) Kauno klinikos. The study was carried out in stages: Survey before training; Training; Survey after 5 months after training. Before training 69 nurses and after the training – 68 nurses were interviewed. Research was permitted Bioethics Comity of LSMU. Conclusions/Results *PLEASE NOTE: Conclusion must be one short sentence. Before training 52.2% of the nurses and after training 25.0% of nurses said that they suctioned secretions from tracheostomy tube routinely every few hours (Χ²=33.364,df=1,p<0.0001). Before the training 61.5% of nurses said that they suctioned secretions at maximum possible pressure, only 24.6% of nurses would monitor suction pressure according to the patient's age. After the training, a statistically significantly less (35.8%) nurses indicated that they would suck secretions from tracheostomy at maximum possible pressure. More than half of respondents (63.2%) would choose suction pressure according to the patient's age (χ²=33.535,df=2,p<0.0001). Before training about one-fifth (17.6%) of the respondents said that they would suck from the tracheostomy tube all the secretions, after training less than one-tenth (6.6%) of the respondents would do that (χ²=12.107,df=3,p<0.007). Conclusions. Part of the nurses incorrectly stated secretion suctioning speed, time and pressure before the training. After five months of training, nurses’ knowledge was significantly improved.