The effect of bedside teaching on critical care nurses' performance in airway suctioning

 This study was conducted to evaluate effect of bedside teaching on critical care nurses' performance in airway suctioning One of the most effective measures in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation is suctioning the trachea to prevent the accumulation of potentially infectious pulmonary secretions and to clear the airway which is carried out by critical care nurses. If suctioning cannot be correctly performed, some complications may occur.  This was a quasi-experimental study in which the study sample consisted of 54 critical care nurses working in Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Tehran, Iran. The nurses were recruited through convenience sampling based on inclusion criteria. Critical care nurses’ performance in airway suctioning were evaluated before and two weeks after intervention using a checklist. The intervention included bedside teaching of suction procedure.  Two weeks after intervention, the mean score of performance in airway suctioning increased significantly (P≤0.0001). Hand washing or using hand was recorded only for 16 nurses before intervention and for 35 nurses after intervention. Maintaining catheter sterility during suctioning was considered by 28 nurses before intervention, and by 40 nurses after intervention. Correct procedure documentation and recording secretion characteristics before and after intervention were carried out by 13 and 34 nurses, respectively. While activating suction during bringing the catheter out of endotracheal tube was done by 31 nurses before intervention, after intervention 41 nurses did so.  Bedside teaching of correct airway suctioning for critical care nurses enhance their performance in this procedure.