Nurses' Knowledge Regarding Ventilator’s Alarms in Critical Care Units At Khartoum Public Hospitals

Abstract

Introduction Ventilator Alarms are extensively utilized in critical areas. They are an important component of most machines, specifically mechanical ventilators (MV), because they notify nurses to changes in patients' conditions. As a result, nurses must understand the functions and limitations of ventilator modes, in addition to that they should have knowledge about alarm management (1). Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are constantly exposed to alarms, which may not require immediate attention (2) (3). Excessive alarm exposure can affect patient safety (4) (5). The study aimed to study nurses' knowledge regarding Ventilator’s Alarms in Critical Care units. Methods This study is a descriptive cross sectional hospital based study, conducted at public hospitals in Khartoum State. 100 nurses working at Critical Care units were enrolled in this study. Data was collected by a self-administered questionnaire and analysed by statistical package of social sciences computer program. Results The study revealed that, total knowledge of participants was poor and there was a significant relationship between participants’ qualification and their knowledge to manage ventilator alarms. Conclusion The level of knowledge regarding assessment of ventilator alarms was good while total knowledge about ventilation alarm management was poor. Recommendation Regular in-service training of staff based on evidence-based practices pertaining to mechanical ventilation alarm practices is imperative that research be done to perform those practices.

Key words: Keywords: Nurses, competence, mechanical ventilation alarm, critical care units..