Effects of Feedback and Education on Nurses’ Clinical Competence in Mechanical Ventilation and Accurate Tidal Volume Setting

Abstract

Background: Patients under mechanical ventilation are at risk of ventilator-associated complications. One of these complications is lung injury due to high tidal volume. Nurses’ competence in mechanical ventilation is critical for preventing ventilator-associated complications. This study assessed the effects of feedback and education on nurses’ clinical competence in mechanical ventilation and accurate tidal volume setting.

Methods: This single arm pretest-post-test interventional study was conducted in 2019 at Shariati hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Participants were 75 conveniently selected nurses. Initially, nurses’ clinical competence in mechanical ventilation and ventilator parameters of 250 patients were assessed. A mechanical ventilation -based feedback and education intervention was implemented for nurses. Finally, mechanical ventilation clinical competence of nurses and ventilator parameters of 250 new patients were assessed. Moreover, patients’ height was estimated based on their ulna length and then, their predicted body weight was calculated using their estimated height. Accurate tidal volume was determined per predicted body weight. 

Results: The mean score of nurses’ clinical competence increased from 8.27±3.09 at pretest to 10.07±3.34 at post-test (p<0.001). The mean values of both total tidal volume and tidal volume per kilogram of predicted body weight were significantly reduced respectively from 529.84±69.11 and 9.11±1.73 (ml) at pretest to 476.30±31.01 and 7.79±1.14 (ml) at post-test (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The feedback and education intervention is effective in promoting nurses’ clinical competence in mechanical ventilation and reducing tidal volume. Thereby, it can reduce lung injuries associated with high tidal volume and ensure patient safety.