Oral care in intensive care units: Lithuanian nurses' attitudes and practices

AimThis study examines the attitudes and practices of ICU nurses towards the provision of oral care to their patients.ObjectiveWe conducted this cross-sectional survey about oral health care practices in ICUs in Lithuania.MethodsWe used a self-administered 20-item questionnaire to survey the current oral care practices, training, and attitudes of 108 nurses. The questionnaire was based on previous studies to gather information related to the attitudes, oral care practices, and training of ICU nurses. We used the chi-square test to analyze relationships between the categorical variables.ResultsMost (88, 82%) of the nurses stated that oral care is important. Although most (83, 77%) had adequate training, a clear majority (98, 91%) of the nurses reported a willingness to learn more. Most (78, 72%) of the nurses found the oral cavity difficult to clean, and (71, 66%) found doing so unpleasant. When performing oral care, the nurses used mostly foam swabs (62, 61%) and moisturizers (54, 53%). More than half (57, 57%) of the nurses expressed a need for more hospital support.ConclusionsNurses working in ICUs reported that oral care is a high priority for their patients, but a difficult and unpleasant task. Nurses provided oral care mainly with toothbrushes, foam swabs, and moisturizers.