Objective: To assess the level of knowledge among Intensive Care Unit nurses regarding Ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention at Najran Hospital in Najran City, Saudi Arabia.
Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among Intensive Care Unit nurses at Najran Hospital using stratified random sampling from four major government hospitals. Data were collected from 1st February to 30th April 2019, through structured questionnaires from 147 nurses. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied using SPSS version 21.
Results: The participants were primarily female (54%), married (50.6%), with a mean age of 28.4±4.2 years. A significant proportion (55.2%), had 1-3 years of Intensive Care Unit experience and the majority held diploma degrees (65.5%). More than half received Intensive Care Unit training (51.7%) and 81.6% had not undergone specific Ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention training. Only 5.7% of Intensive Care Unit nurses demonstrated good knowledge of Ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention, 57.5% exhibited moderate knowledge, and 36.8% had poor knowledge. No significant associations were found between knowledge levels and Intensive Care Unit training, gender, or years of experience (p>0.05). However, a significant correlation was observed between the level of education and knowledge of Ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention (p=0.001).
Conclusion: The study highlights substantial knowledge gaps among Intensive Care Unit nurses concerning Ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention, with the majority demonstrating inadequate knowledge. Urgent interventions are required to enhance the understanding of Ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention among Intensive Care Unit nursing staff.
Key words: Ventilator associated pneumonia, pneumonia prevention, Najran, infection prevention, ICU training.
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