Implementation of a nursing oral health care protocol in a university teaching hospital: A cluster-randomized stepped-wedge design

Introduction: Providing oral care is an essential part of basic nursing care but receives little priority in daily practice, with a risk of adverse events. Also, nurses report many barriers to adequate provision of oral care, such as time restraints, insufficient materials, fear of causing pain, lack of knowledge and a negative attitude towards providing oral care.Methods: We performed a cluster-randomized, stepped-wedge study to explore the effect of the the implementation of a new nursing evidence-based oral care protocol on nurses' knowledge, attitude and protocol adherence. The study population included both nursing students, graduated nurses and patients in selected wards. The implementation strategy included oral and written information, instruction videos and reminders. Nurses' knowledge and attitude towards oral care were assessed at baseline and after the implementation of the protocol with a validated 47-item questionnaire with a score range of 0-100. Secondarily, nurses' protocol adherence to teeth brushing, measured in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) dependent patients, was evaluated. The Standards for Reporting Implementation Studies (StaRI) Statement was used.Results: At baseline, the questionnaire was completed by 226 nurses; after implementation by 283. Knowledge had significantly improved from 68.8 to 72.3. Nurses' attitude improved not significantly. Protocol adherence was assessed in 73 ADL-dependent patients at baseline, in 51 after implementation. Adherence to teeth brushing significantly decreased in patients with permanent teeth. Also, adherence to both teeth brushing and usage of soap decreased in patients with (partial) dentures.Conclusion: Nurses' knowledge and attitude of oral care increased somewhat after the implementation of a new nursing evidence-based protocol. After implementation, there was an unexplained decreased adherence to oral care in ADL-dependent patients.