The Effect of Instructing the Principles of Endotracheal Tube Suctioning on Knowledge and Performance of Nursing Staff Working in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Nurses must be aware of the risks regarding endotracheal tube suctioning and should have continuing education in this field. This study was performed to assess the impact of instruction on the knowledge and performance of NICU nursing staff in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2006.

Fifty nurses of neonatal intensive care units participated in this quasi experimental study. At first, their knowledge and performance in neonatal endotracheal tube suctioning was investigated using test and checklist. After specifying the experimental and control group through systematic random allocation, the suctioning instruction was done for experimental group and infection prevention instruction was done for control group. Two days and 2 months after instruction, nurse's knowledge and performance were assessed again. Data analysis was done using Chi- Square, Mann Whitney, and Wilcoxon by SPSS software.

The means for knowledge and performance of experimental group respectively two days and two months after instruction was 16.56 and arrived from this score to 28.48 and 27.4 and from 20.6 arrived to 39.14 and 38.34.

Instructing the principles of endotracheal tube suctioning improves the level of knowledge and performance in nurses. Since education effect declines gradually, continuing education in this field seems to be necessary.