Volume : 13, Issue : 07, July – 2026
Title:
ASSESS COMPETENCY AMONG NURSES DURING ENDOTRACHEAL SUCTIONING AT ALLAMA IQBAL MEMORIAL TEACHING HOSPITAL, SIALKOT
Authors :
Salma Bibi, Shumaila Akbar, Sadia Saleem
Abstract :
Background: Endotracheal tube (ETT) suctioning is one of the necessary invasive procedures carried out to clear airway secretions and maintain its patency for mechanical ventilation. However, if not carried out according to the current evidence-based practice recommendations, it will lead to inconsistent practices among nurses, affecting the health of the patient by causing ventilator-associated pneumonia, bleeding, infection, atelectasis, hypoxemia, cardiovascular instability, elevated intracranial bleeding, and may also cause lesions in the tracheal mucosa.
Objective: This study objective is to assess competency of nursing staff regarding endotracheal suctioning in at Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Sialkot.
Methodology: A non-experimental, descriptive, quantitative and cross sectional design was utilized in this study. The sample size comprised 47 (n=47) nurses working in adult intensive care units. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and divided into two sections. The first section was the demographic data, the second section comprised 25 questions. Data analysis was done by means of descriptive statistics to meet the study objectives.
Results: Participants having age 18 years to 60 years included in the study. Regarding assessment of knowledge and competency on ETS, when respondents were asked that respiratory system starts from which parts; 19.15% said oral cavity; 17.02% said from larynx; 25.53% replied trachea; 23.40% said lungs and alveoli and remaining 14.89% said pharynx. Meanwhile, when nursing personnel asked that either nurse must be sure about quality functioning equipment before suction, 53.19% said yes whereas 46.81% said no. Likewise, when respondents were asked the nurse is not responsible for assessing the patient’s need for suctioning, 51.06% agreed and 48.94% disagreed. Overall, mean scoring of ETS questionnaire is 18.17.
Conclusion(s): This study concluded that nurses showed moderate level of knowledge and competencies of current evidence based guidelines on ETT suctioning. Concerns were raised about all aspects of endotracheal suctioning and highlighted the need for changes in nursing practice, with clinical guidelines and focused practice-based education.
Keywords: Competency; endotracheal tube; endotracheal suctioning; nurses; intensive care unit
Cite This Article:
Please cite this article in press Salma Bibi et al., Assess Competency Among Nurses During Endotracheal Suctioning At Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Sialkot, Indo Am. J. P. Sci, 2026; 13(07).
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