A learning programme for nurses for the prevention of ventilator-associated infections in adult patients

[摘要] Ventilator-associated infections contribute to most of the fatal infections in the intensive care.Considerable intensive care resources are also consumed in the treatment of ventilatorassociatedinfections. Not only economic costs, but also expenditure of staff energies, physicalresources, treatment expenses and admission to the intensive care contribute to the complexityof the problem. Despite the large progress in medical treatment over the past decades, theincidence and case fatality rates of health-care-associated ventilator-associated infectionsremain high. Patients who require mechanical ventilation have a particularly high risk of healthcare-associated infections.Ventilator-associated infections have been a major complication for years, but the researcherhas found that no formal attempts, except for inclusion of the concept as part of critical carenursing curricula, have been made to educate nurses with regard to the active prevention ofventilator-associated infections in adult patients. There are also limited data availableregarding infection control education-based interventions targeting healthcare systems, e.g.intensive care units.The research goal was to establish and evaluate a learning programme for nurses caring foradult patients with ventilator-associated infections (Learning Programme). This took place in twoAustralian hospitals during 2003 and 2004. The objectives of the research were divided intothree phases. Evidenced-based literature on the above concepts was utilised by the researcherand deductively implemented and validated by a focus (specialist) group to develop the LearningProgramme in Phase One.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University