The impact of an evidence-based practice education program on the role of oral care in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

SummaryBackgroundDespite strong evidence in the literature on the role of oral care in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), nurses continue to view oral care as a comfort measure with low priority and utilise foam swabs rather than toothbrushes. Although an evidence-based oral care protocol existed and best-practice oral care tools were available, the VAP rates had not significantly decreased even though nurses reported providing oral care.ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to determine if an evidence-based practice (EBP) educational programme would improve the quality of oral care delivered to mechanically ventilated patients; thereby, reducing the VAP rate.ResultsImprovement in oral health was demonstrated by a decrease in median scores on the Oral Assessment Guide (pre (11.0), post (9.0)). A t-test analysis revealed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.0002). The frequency of oral care documentation also improved as demonstrated by a positive shift to the more frequent timeframes. The VAP rates have decreased by 50% following the EBP education intervention.ConclusionsThe implementation of an EBP educational programme focused on patient outcome rather than a task to be performed improved the quality of oral care delivered by the nursing staff.