Oral care of intubated patients, challenging task of ICU nurses: a survey of knowledge, attitudes and practices

IntroductionPatients' health outcomes can be positively affected by the oral care provided by intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Providing effective oral care for intubated patients is a challenging task. The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices(KAP) of oral care among ICU nurses for intubated patients, as well as the underlying factors that influence these behaviors.MethodThis cross-sectional survey was conducted on 200 nurses from adult ICUs in referral hospitals located in the central eighth area of healthcare management in Iran. The timeframe for data collection was April to June in 2023. Data were collected by questionnaires which consisted of four sections: demographic information, knowledge, attitudes and practices of oral care for intubated patients. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient was employed to determine the correlation between KAP and its main variables, which were distributed normally.ResultsThe result showed that nurses were 32.19 +/- 6.23 years old, with an average total work experience of 8.91 +/- 5.54 years and an average ICU work experience of 5.89 +/- 4.31 years. The mean KAP score were17.66 +/- 3.04, 15.46 +/- 4.23, and 7.57 +/- 2.21, respectively. The knowledge of nurses was significantly impacted by their level of education (p = 0.04), and an increase in work experience each year was associated with improved attitudes among nurses (p = 0.04). A significant association was found between the nurses' oral care practice, knowledge (p = 0.03), and attitude (p = 0.04).ConclusionThis study revealed that ICU nurses possess a moderate level of knowledge, a higher-than-average level of practice, and they have a favorable attitude towards giving oral care to intubated patients. Therefore, providing continuous education about oral care is essential for ICU nurses.