PICOT QUESTION
Nurses have the responsibility of providing quality care to clients to ensure optimum health. Besides, they have to ensure clients’ safety while providing care to patients as this enhances client satisfaction. Hospital-acquired infections are some of the conditions that clients acquire in the hospital during hospitalization. For instance, ventilator-associated pneumonia is among the nosocomial infections that affect clients in acute care settings who are on ventilation. VAP is a common condition that can be prevented and is caused by prolonged hospitalization (Sanders-Thompson, 2020). The complication occurs mostly in acute clients in intensive care units due to their compromised immunity and dysfunction of several organs. The occurrence of HAIs is an indication of the standard of health services being provided to patients. Therefore, infection prevention measures need to be implemented to reduce such infections’ incidences and improve care quality.
The PICOT question of focus is; is the application of care bundles during care of clients on ventilators (I) more effective compared to not using care bundle (C) in reducing and preventing the incidences of ventilator-associated pneumonia (O) among critically ill adult clients aged between 18 to 70 years (P) in acute care settings within six months’ period (T).
The nursing care bundle for clients on ventilators involves various techniques. Among them are; reducing using mechanical ventilation as a method of oxygen delivery in clients with difficulties in breathing. Another approach is that nurses should ensure that clients receive appropriate oral care. It helps minimize the chances of bacteria growing in the oral mucosa hence minimizing the threat of infection (Boltey, Yakusheva & Costa, 2017). Besides, proper positioning and suctioning of any secretions present in the endotracheal tube are vital in clients’ care on ventilators. By addressing the question, the study will provide evidence-based findings on the practices that help prevent and reduce the rates of VAPs among critically ill clients.
References
Boltey, E., Yakusheva, O., & Costa, D. K. (2017). 5 Nursing Strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia. American nurse today, 12(6), 42–43.
Sanders-Thompson, D. J. (2020). Examining ICU Nurses’ Knowledge of Ventilator-Associated Events and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.