title: Knowledge levels of intensive care nurses on prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ventilator-associated pneumonia constitutes a significant concern for ventilated patients in the intensive care unit.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was planned to evaluate the knowledge of nurses working in general intensive care units concerning evidence-based measures for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study design is cross-sectional. It was carried out on nurses working in the general intensive care units of anesthiology and re-animation clinics. Collection of research data was performed by means of a Nurse Identification Form and a Form of Evidence-Based Knowledge concerning the Prevention of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia. Characterization statistics were shown by percentage, median and interquartile range. Chi-square and Wilcoxon tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used as appropriate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median value of total points scored by nurses on the questionnaire was 4.00 ± 2.00. The difference between the nurses' education levels, duration of work experience and participation in in-service training programmes on ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention and the median value of their total scores on the questionnaire was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The conclusion of the study was that critical care nurses' knowledge about ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention is poor.
authors.affiliation: E Akın Korhan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Science, Department of Nursing, İzmir Katip Çelebi University, Çiğli-İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akın Korhan
authors.forename: Gülendam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hakverdioğlu Yönt
authors.forename: Serap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parlar Kılıç
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uzelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey
keywords: Intensive care unit; Nosocomial pneumonia; Nursing; Ventilator-associated pneumonia