Knowledge of evidence-based guidelines in ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the intensive care unit nurses' knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention at Guilan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS) hospitals, Guilan Province, northern Iran.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 219 nurses working in 14 intensive care units at 11 Guilan hospitals. The questionnaire consisted of three parts of demographic information, nurses' knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of VAP, and the barrier for the implementation of these guidelines.
Results: Of the 219 nurses, 171 (response rate 78.1%) participated in this study, and their mean knowledge score was 4.6. There was no significant relation between nurses' knowledge score and their work experience (P = 0.327), education degree (P = 0.189), and their position (P = 0.168).
Conclusion: The level of knowledge regarding VAP prevention seems inadequate in this study. Although having knowledge about the principles of evidence-based care cannot guarantee the implementation of these principles, lack of knowledge may be a potential barrier to adherence to evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of VAP.
(© 2016 Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)