The mortality rate of patients who develop ventilator-acquired pneumonia lies at approximately 10%. To reduce this rate healthcare advocacy have endorsed a prevention method that involves routine oral care. The purpose of the study was to identify whether implementation of an oral care protocol, staff education and alterations to bedside oral care tools improved the frequency of patients who were non-ventilated. According to the findings by Jenson, Maddux, and Waldo (2018), there was a knowledge gap in RMs and CNAs concerning the importance of oral care, by encouraging staff education, knowledge on oral care is increased which leads to improved care. Using a clearly defined protocol and having accessible tools ensured standardization of services offered for oral care.
Jenson et al. (2018) stated that nurses should always be aware of the nursing interventions in their units to allow for best nursing outcomes. They also affirm that for oral care to be effective, it is essential that nurses and staff work as partners with nurses coaching the patients on matters regarding the importance of oral healthcare services. Oral care is essential in minimizing patient’s complications ad hospitals; sometimes nurses are distracted by non-patient related tasks and therefore lose focus on important interventions such as oral care. Poor oral care is directly related to increased NV-HAP, more extended hospital stays and the development of multi-drug resistant organisms (Jenson et al., 2018) . The additional time that nurses spend with patients when educating them on oral self-care plays a significant role in enhancing the nurse-patient experience. Nurses may not be able to provide oral care to all patients especially in busy surgical units; it is, however, their duty to delegate oral care and maintain accountability for its completion.
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Translating research evidence to the nursing practice is essential as it allows nurses to change and improve the way they deliver care. The practice is critical for ensuring that nurses provide transparent, effective and efficient healthcare services to their patients (Rolfe, 2015) . Therefore improving the patient’s outcome. Translating best research evidence creates a more transparent and sustainable healthcare service in which nurses are central. The research provides sufficient evidence that can be incorporated into nursing practice to improve oral care and healthcare eventually. Oral care is timeless; this means that it is an activity that should be considered at all times by patients and staff. It is important to include the evidence provided in the research to practice. Nurses are in a position to influence outcome related to oral care; the evidence presented shows how they can achieve positive results. Emulating the evidence into practice is, therefore, one way to improve healthcare (Rolfe, 2015) . A lack of oral hygiene leads to bacteria accumulation in the in the oral cavity and may become more pathogenic over time. Understanding that following oral protocol, educating patients, ensuring regular oral care checkups for patients as a nurse not only helps to improve the overall health of a patient but it also enhances the patient-nurse relationship.
The evidence is very crucial for the nursing practice; Jenson et al. (2018) concluded that most nurses are not well informed on how regular oral care affects the general health of a patient. It is, therefore, necessary to share the research-based evidence with fellow peers. One of the means through which peers can be informed includes presentations during nursing forums where the importance of conducting oral care to patients is explained in details using the evidence provided. It may also be necessary to share the findings through written clinical summary statements or published journals that will allow fellow nurses to read and understand the findings better for themselves.
References
Jenson, H., Maddux, S., & Waldo, M. (2018). Improving Oral Care in Hospitalized Non-Ventilated Patients: Standardizing Products and Protocol. MEDSURG Nursing , 27 (1), 38-45.
Rolfe, G. (2015). Evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence. Exploring Evidence-based Practice , 99-112. doi:10.4324/9781315764559-8
