Critical Care Nurses' Knowledge on Prevention of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: This study aims to assess the knowledge of Palestinian critical care nurses regarding the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), an acquired infection that affects critically ill patients on ventilators in hospitals. Nurses caring for these patients may not always be aware of the most effective methods to prevent VAP. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in five government hospitals in Gaza Strip, Palestine over 3 months. A convenience sample technique (72) of critical care nurses was selected. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire divided into; demographic characteristics and knowledge about critical care nurses of preventive interventions for VAP. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. Results: More than half of the critical care nurses (67%) were male and the majority of critical care nurses (63%) were aged between 20 and 29 years. Furthermore, 32% of critical care nurses were from Alshifa Medical Complex. The overall mean knowledge among critical care nurses to prevent VAP was 72%, indicating correct answers to knowledge-related queries. Conclusion: Our study indicated that the knowledge of critical care nurses about VAP prevention was inadequate. Age, marital status, and years of experience were significantly associated with a good level of knowledge about the prevention of VAP (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant association between knowledge about VAP prevention of VAP and gender, qualification level, and type of intensive care unit (ICU).