Knowledge and Its Associated Factors Related Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Among Intensive Care Nurses: Cross-sectional Study in Southern Province of Sri Lanka

This study aimed to assess knowledge and its associated factors on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among intensive care nurses. This descriptive cross-sectional study included 164 nurses who worked in intensive care units. Data were collected through a content-validated, pretested self- administered questionnaire. It included participants’ socio-demographic information and knowledge- assessing questions. Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U-test, and the Kruskal–Wallis test were performed. Significance was accepted at alpha < 0.05. The sample was female predominant and included more undergraduate and graduate nurses than diploma nurses. The overall knowledge of VAP among nurses ranged from 82.92 to 14.86, with 75% of them achieving a score above 80%. Nurses’ knowledge of VAP was associated with their age, professional qualifications, and experiences in nursing service and intensive care units (p < 0.05). Nurses had satisfactory knowledge of VAP. However, gaps exist. Nurses’ knowledge is associated with their on-the-job training and professional qualifications. Keywords: ventilator associated pneumonia; intensive care nurses; knowledge; factors