AI Article Synopsis
- - A study was conducted to evaluate nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices around oral hygiene for patients who depend on others for care in two hospitals in Northern Portugal.
- - Results showed that nurses had a fair understanding of oral care (mean knowledge score of 13.98/22), strongly recognized its importance (96% linked poor hygiene to disease), and conducted assessments for oral care (90% within the first 24 hours).
- - Despite their awareness, there’s a notable inconsistency between their knowledge and actual practices, highlighting the need for improved standards and implementation of oral health care.
Article Abstract
Objective: Assess nurses' knowledge, attitudes and practices towards oral hygiene of dependent inpatients.
Methods: Quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional study. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire applied to 100 nurses from internal medicine wards of two hospitals in Northern Portugal, which assessed three dimensions: knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding oral hygiene. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices in oral care were summarized in statistical descriptions including percentages, frequencies, means, and standard deviations using SPSS version 23 for data analysis.
Results: The mean total knowledge score was 13.98 out of 22 and the participants' mean score of the attitudes towards oral care was 48.35 out of 60 points. All participants acknowledge the importance of oral care for inpatients, with 96% associating poor oral hygiene with systemic disease. As for practices, 90% of participants assess the need for oral care of inpatients in the first 24 h, and 61% document the result of this assessment.
Conclusion: The results show that although participants are aware of the importance of oral care, knowledge and practices are not consistent. Concerning oral health practices, it is urgent to narrow the gap between evidence and practice and promote oral care standardization.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcle.2022.05.003 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!