OBJECTIVES:

To explore the perception and attitudes of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses towards oral care practice for mechanically ventilated (MV) patients.

METHOD:

A descriptive cross-sectional design was used in this study. A convenience sample of 96 ICU nurses completed a questionnaire on their perception and  attitudes towards oral care. The study setting was 3 representative Jordanian hospitals in Al-Karak and the capital, Amman, over a 6-month period between February and September 2016.

RESULTS:

Ninety-six nurses participated in the study. The response rate was 76.8%. The results revealed that 65% only follow a specific oral care protocol. Nurses did not adhere to minimal standards. Although nurses' attitude towards oral care was strongly positive, 68% of them perceived it as an unpleasant task and 29% agreed that they had insufficient training; 78% agreed to learn more about the best way to perform oral care. Standard descriptive statistics were calculated for all baseline information (sociodemographic characteristics). Binary variables were expressed as proportions, and normally distributed continuous variables as means and standard deviations.

CONCLUSION:

The poor perception and attitudes of ICU nurses regarding oral care for MV patients require the urgent attention of clinical administrators. In-hospital training regarding oral care protocol could improve nurses' perception and attitudes.