Effect of Implementing an Educational Intervention on Nurses’ Performance regarding Adherence to Infection Control Precautions on Mechanical Ventilation

Background: Critical care nurses provide direct care to patients who require mechanical ventilation and act the key in preventing and development of infections in ventilated patients. Aim: Evaluate the effect of implementing an educational intervention on nurses’ performance regarding adherence to infection control precautions on mechanical ventilation. Design: A quasi-experimental research design was used. Setting: The study was conducted in the ICU unit at Al-Azhar University Hospital. Sample: A convenience sample of all available nurses (40 nurses). Tools: Two tools were used, the nurse's knowledge questionnaire and the observational checklist. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in overall nurses' knowledge and practice before and after the educational program (P-value = 0.001**). The nurses' knowledge scores increased from 32.5% to 87.5% after the program was implemented, while the observed nurses' practice score increased from 7.5% to 55%. Conclusion: Following the educational program, nurses' knowledge and practice about adherence to infection control procedures on mechanical ventilation reach satisfactory levels. Recommendation: Providing continual training programs to ICU nurses to improve their performance in terms of infection control precautions during mechanical ventilation.