Knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses regarding airway clearance in neurocritical illness patients: A cross-sectional study

AimWe aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding airway clearance among nurses and explore the factors affecting the knowledge, attitudes and practices.DesignA questionnaire-based cross-sectional study.BackgroundAirway clearance is an important method of eliminating excess secretions. In neuroscience nursing, nurses are important executors of airway management, and their knowledge, attitudes and practices can influence the effectiveness of airway clearance.MethodsThis study was conducted from July to September 2023 in four hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China. A structured questionnaire about airway clearance was designed and used to collect the data. The nurses used this questionnaire to self-rate. The STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was followed.ResultsThe age, work experience, highest educational attainment and technical title of the nurses can significantly influence their knowledge. The age, highest educational attainment and technical title of the nurses can significantly impact their attitudes. Practice scores were significantly influenced by age, work experience, technical title, whether the nurses had received any training on airway clearance techniques, and whether the department developed procedures for implementing the airway clearance technology. Nurses' attitudes were significantly associated with knowledge and practice, and there was no significant correlation between knowledge and practice.ConclusionThis study showed that age, work experience, highest educational attainment and training were related to knowledge, attitudes and practices. These findings suggest that nursing managers can conduct airway clearance training according to age group, working experience and education level of the nurses.Patient or Public ContributionNo patient or public contribution.ImpactThe findings show that the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices related to airway clearance in neuroscience nursing among nurses were acceptable, which means that nurses can better perform airway management on patients. These findings serve as a significant reference for designing an airway clearance education for nurses and meet the needs of nurses in clinical nursing practice.