The Nurses’ Knowledge Regarding Endotracheal Suctioning at Critical Care Unit of Kirkuk Teaching Hospital, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Endotracheal suctioning is one of the most frequently performed invasive procedures by intensive care nurses. Nurses should have adequate knowledge and skills to perform endotracheal suctioning based on the best evidence. The purpose of this study was to investigate critical care nurses’ knowledge regarding endotracheal suctioning. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted for this study, which was conducted in Kirkuk Teaching Hospital. The study extended from October 2023 to March 2024. The study population consisted of all the nurses working in the critical care unit of the hospital. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to select 46 nurses. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The collected data were entered, coded, and edited into the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26. Data were analysed by employing both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results: Among this group, 84.8% had attained a college education. It is worth noting that a significant portion of the sample (82.6%) had not undergone any training courses in endotracheal suctioning. The knowledge levels of 82.6% of nurses regarding endotracheal suctioning were inadequate, while 17.4% were adequate. There was a relationship between nurses’ knowledge regarding endotracheal suctioning and both nurses’ experience in the critical care unit at a p-value of 0.049 and nurses participating in training courses about endotracheal suctioning at a p-value of 0.022. Conclusion: The study concludes that only a few nurses had adequate knowledge and that the majority of them had inadequate knowledge of endotracheal suctioning. Therefore, it is necessary to upgrade nurses’ knowledge on endotracheal suctioning through in-service education programs.