Effectiveness of an Educational Program Regarding Care of Infants with Chest Tube on Nurses' Knowledge and Practice

Background: Chest tube is a widely applied postoperative treatment of the respiratory and cardiothoracic problems. A chest tube can be a life-saving intervention for infants suffering from a pneumothorax, bloody effusion and hemothorax. However, it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Aim: this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program regarding care of infants with chest tube on nurses' knowledge and practice. Method: A quasi-experimental research design was conducted on a sample of 50 nurses worked at pediatric surgical & cardiothoracic intensive care units (PCICU) of Mansoura University Children's Hospital (MUCH). Tools: A Structured Questionnaire Sheet for nurses' knowledge &nurses’ practice for caring for infants with chest tube observational checklist. Results: the majority of the studied nurses had good knowledge and most of them had competent practice after implementation of an educational program with a highly statistically significant difference. Conclusion: There was an improvement in the nurses' knowledge and practice after implementation of the educational program. Recommendations: In-services, up to date and regular training programs to improve nurses' knowledge and practices regarding care of infants with chest tube. Further studies are recommended to repeat this study on a large sample size and on a wide scale in various governorates of Egypt.