Closed suctioning system of endotracheal tube (CTSS) : the practice and perception of intensive care nurses.

Abstract

Purpose: The of this study was to explore the knowledge, level of practice, and the frequency of problems met during the use of CTSS amongst intensive care unit (ICU) nurses and suggest ways to improve the use of the system. Design: A non experimental exploratory design using a descriptive survey approach was employed. Sample: The sample of participants were taken from three governmental hospitals in Abu Dhabi chosen randomly. It included all nurses in the ICUs of three hospitals who happened to be working at the time of the study. The response was Eighty three staff nurses, three charge nurses, and one respiratory therapist. Instrument: A questionnaire consisting of twenty one questions was used to explore the ICU nurses' knowledge, experience, practice, and difficulties met by nurses. Averages, tables, figures, and correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Results: Results showed a positive correlation (+0.0433) between the level of knowledge and length of use of the system but the effect is minimal. Again the knowledge and the frequency of use on ventilated patients were minimally positive (+0.0898). On the other hand, the relation between the frequency of use and the years of experience was more positively related than the frequency of use and the knowledge. Conclusion: There is a need to set a plan aiming at making the system more frequently used. Not only that , but it should be used safely and appropriately and supported by policy and procedure guidelines.