Assessing Nurse Competence in Dysphagia Care for Patients with Tracheostomy
Gunasagar Mysore Sudharshan, Rakshitha Srihari, Ashwini Thimmaraju, Anukiruba Balu, S. V. BhavyaAbstract
Introduction:
Tracheostomies are frequently utilized to treat upper airway obstruction, provide mechanical ventilation, and remove tracheobronchial secretions in people of all ages.
Aim:
The aim of the study was to assess nurses’ knowledge in the management of dysphagia among tracheostomized patients Nurses have a crucial role in providing tracheostomy care, making adequate knowledge and abilities essential for patient stability and safety. The objective of the study was to determine the level of knowledge and skills regarding tracheostomy care among nurses working in a selected teaching hospital.
Method:
The study comprised 270 participants categorized into three groups: Group 1 consisted of 51 working nurses, Group 2 consisted of 80 final-year General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) students, and Group 3 included 139 final-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.Sc. nursing) students. A two-part questionnaire derived from the published literature was used in the study.
Results:
In the association between comfort level and group (GNM students and B.Sc. nursing students) among GNM students, the majority (63.8%) reported feeling “comfortable,” while 23.8% left the question unattended. In comparison, 48.9% of B.Sc. nursing students reported feeling “comfortable” and 20.9% were unattended. The distribution of comfort levels varies significantly between GNM and B.Sc. nursing students. The results of skills revealed that mean skill scores exhibited varied significantly among all the three groups.
Conclusion:
In the current study, there was no statistically significant correlation between knowledge and skills in tracheal care. The lack of a statistically significant correlation suggests that participants’ knowledge levels are not directly associated with their skills.