Effect of a nursing educational intervention on the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the neonatal intensive care unit

Low birth weight babies are at high-risk for developing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), which leads to longer hospital stays and increased morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care (NICU) patients. Recent research has explored factors associated with VAP in adult patients and recommended the use of a VAP care bundle, a collection of best preventive nursing practices. Few studies have addressed VAP prevention through use of an educational intervention for nurses who care for neonates. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an education intervention about VAP prevention on VAP rates in NICUs. This quasi-experimental, pre- and post- intervention study was guided by a conceptual framework of prevention. It was a partial replication of a study by Zack et al. (2002). The target sample was 80 registered nurses who cared for NICU newborns before and after the VAP bundle education program. Respondents completed a questionnaire (Labeau, Vandijck, Claes, Van Aken & Blot, 2007) before and after the educational program. Scores were compared to assess changes in nurses’ knowledge. Findings demonstrate the effect of education on VAP rates in the NICU and provide guidance for future practice.