Effect of a Constructivist Educational Program on Preventing Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Intensive Care Units

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the types of healthcare-associated infections seen in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation. VAP is defined as a nosocomial lower respiratory tract infection that begins 48 hours or more after the initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation in intubated patients. VAP leads to increased mortality and morbidity, prolonged hospital stay, and economic and psychological costs. Prevention of VAP has primarily been achieved through the "package approach," which involves the simultaneous implementation of various preventive strategies for all patients. Therefore, it is important to conduct educational programs for healthcare personnel to reduce the incidence of VAP. Learning in constructivist education is based on establishing connections between existing and new knowledge and integrating each new piece of information into existing knowledge. While constructivist education and routine training are provided to the staff of one of the two adult intensive care units included in this study, only routine training is offered to the staff of the other. VAP data in intensive care units with constructivist education and routine training will be compared. Constructivist education will be provided to intensive care nursing and cleaning staff in small groups and over a total period of one month. The data from both intensive care units will be examined comparatively within six months after the completion of the constructivist training.

After the implementation of the constructivist education, all patients in the ICU will be included in the study.

Inclusion criteria

• age > 18 years
• patients receiving mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours

Exclusion criteria

• A clinical diagnosis of pneumonia at the time of admission