Assessment of Nurses Knowledge and Practice Related to Ventilator Care Bundle for Intubated Patient in Intensive Care Unit of Tertiary Care Hospital

Rabia Mushtaq; Saba Abbas; Sania Mansha; Samra Siddique

doi:10.54112/bcsrj.v7i6.2380

Authors

Rabia Mushtaq Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan,
Saba Abbas Punjab Institute of Neurosciences, Lahore, Pakistan,
Sania Mansha Punjab Institute of Neurosciences, Lahore, Pakistan
Samra Siddique Punjab Institute of Neurosciences, Lahore, Pakistan,

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54112/bcsrj.v7i6.2380

Keywords:

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia; Intensive Care Units; Nurses; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Abstract

Ventilator-associated pneumonia remains an important complication among mechanically ventilated patients in intensive care units. Consistent implementation of ventilator care bundle measures by nurses may reduce preventable complications and improve the quality of critical-care nursing. Objective: To assess nurses’ knowledge and reported practices related to the ventilator care bundle for intubated patients in the intensive care unit of a tertiary-care hospital. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the adult intensive care units of Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, from August 2025 to February 2026. A convenience sample of 144 registered nurses with more than one year of adult ICU experience was recruited from medical, surgical, and neurosurgical ICUs. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from Aziz et al., comprising demographic characteristics, 15 knowledge questions, and a ventilator care bundle practice checklist. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25 and summarized as means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages. Results: The mean age of participants was 28.39 ± 4.19 years, and 93.1% were female. Mean professional experience was 6.65 ± 2.97 years, with 70.8% having 6–10 years of experience. Knowledge was highest regarding the definition of the ventilator care bundle (88.2%), recommended oral intubation (86.8%), and hand hygiene before and after oral/endotracheal suctioning (85.4%). Important knowledge gaps were observed regarding components excluded from the bundle (16.0%), contraindications to deep-vein thrombosis prophylaxis (23.6%), and sedation interruption as a bundle component (29.9%). Reported practice adherence was generally high, particularly for assessing contraindications before head-of-bed elevation (98.6%), maintaining head-of-bed elevation at 30°–45° (92.4%), peptic-ulcer prophylaxis according to hospital policy (92.4%), hand hygiene before oral care (91.7%), and deep-vein thrombosis prophylaxis (91.7%). Lower adherence was reported for daily sedation-vacation implementation (75.0%) and spontaneous breathing trials (64.6%). Conclusion: ICU nurses demonstrated generally good reported adherence to ventilator care bundle practices, but notable gaps remained in knowledge of several key bundle components. Targeted continuing education, standardized protocols, and regular competency-based training may improve nurses’ knowledge and promote more consistent implementation of evidence-based ventilator care.

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