Knowledge, attitudes and practices of intensive care unit nurses about ventilator-associated pneumonia bundle: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Introduction: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a common nosocomial infection, increases the length of hospitalization and the patient mortality rate. A ventilator care process "bundle", composed of peptic ulcer disease prophylaxis, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis, elevation of the head of the bed, and a sedation vacation, may decrease VAP rates. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practical levels of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses toward VAP bundle. Methods: A four-part questionnaire was designed and distributed to the all-general ICU nurses (n=100) at Sina, Shohada and Imam Reza hospitals of Tabriz University of Medical Science in Iran, from November 2021 to November 2022, who intended to take part in this project and completed the questionnaire form completely. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to compare ICU nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice levels. Results: 54% of nurses presented high knowledge, 64% had moderate practices, and 90% had a positive attitude toward VAP bundles. Nursing experience in ICU wards, level of education, and participation in infection control courses had a significant relation with the knowledge and practice levels (P<0.05), while only the education level showed significant association with positive attitude (P=0.007). Conclusion: ICU nurses demonstrated a high level of knowledge, a positive attitude, and a moderate level of practice regarding the VAP bundle.