Postoperative Management After Tracheostomy and Laryngectomy: Improving Nursing Knowledge With Bedside Posters

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Nursing
• Patient Care Management

Background:

• Tracheostomy and laryngectomy are distinct surgical procedures requiring specialized postoperative care.
• Nursing staff may have varying levels of understanding regarding the differences in managing these patient populations.
• Misunderstanding can lead to suboptimal patient care and potential complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance nursing staff comprehension of critical differences in postoperative management between tracheostomy and laryngectomy patients.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving this understanding.

Main Methods:

• A 6-month intervention involving a didactic session and visual aids (posters, diagrams) was implemented.
• Data on nursing staff understanding were collected before and after the intervention.
• Surveys assessed knowledge regarding oral ventilation appropriateness and self-assessed understanding of care differences.

Main Results:

• Pre-intervention, 32% of nurses incorrectly believed oral ventilation was appropriate for laryngectomy patients; this decreased to 0% post-intervention.
• A significant improvement in nursing staff's self-assessed clear understanding of patient care differences was observed.
• The educational intervention demonstrated a significant positive impact on knowledge acquisition.

Conclusions:

• Didactic sessions combined with informational posters effectively improve nursing staff's understanding of tracheostomy versus laryngectomy postoperative care.
• This educational approach is a valuable tool for enhancing nursing competency in managing patients with these airway surgeries.
• Improved understanding can contribute to better patient outcomes and safer clinical practice.