The Role of Oral Hygiene in the Prevention of Non-Ventilator Associated Health-Care Acquired Pneumonia

Abstract

Background and Significance: Patients who develop HAP are at increased risk for mortality, longer hospital stays, and stays in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, oral hygiene is often overlooked in non-ventilated patients due to patient noncompliance, challenges on acute-medicine units, nursing staff shortages, and lack of oral care policies in non-ICU settings. Purpose and Objectives: Currently, there are no standard oral care policies in non-ventilated patients, but HAP is still problematic in this patient population. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to design an educational workshop for nursing staff highlighting the importance of oral hygiene. Theoretical Framework: Benner’s theory, From Novice to Expert, explains how nursing proficiency improves through education and experience in practical situations. Similarly, this project’s goal to increase nursing knowledge and expertise. Methods and Design: This project is designed to outline the in-service educational session, as well as an outline of the pre- and post-intervention survey. Protection of Human Rights and Ethical Considerations: The design of the project includes obtaining nursing consent prior to implementation. Results: Future recommendations include utilizing the outline to develop an on-site research project to determine whether the in-service session will improve nursing staff provision and documentation of oral hygiene in non-ventilated adult patients in acute settings