Effect of evidence-based education program with mentoring system for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia on nurses’ competency to improve quality care for patients in the intensive care unit: a quasi-experimental study in a tertiary hospital in Bangladesh

TL;DR

This study shows that training and mentoring ICU nurses in Bangladesh improved their skills and motivation to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia, leading to better patient care.

Contribution

The study introduces an evidence-based education and mentoring system to enhance ICU nurses' competency in VAP prevention in low-resource settings.

Findings

EBP training significantly improved nurses' skills, knowledge, practice, motivation, and work engagement (p < 0.001).

88.5% of nurses achieved high skill scores after training, with 84.6% maintaining high performance during implementation.

Positive correlations were found between knowledge, skills, motivation, and work engagement after EBP implementation.

Abstract

Nurses’ skills, knowledge, practice, motivation, and work engagement are crucial for achieving better outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Evidence-based in-service training and monitoring of nurses’ behavior can significantly enhance the quality of care for ICU patients. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) training and mentoring system in improving ICU nurses’ competencies including skills, knowledge, clinical practices, motivation and work engagement for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in a tertiary hospital in Bangladesh.

A quasi-experimental pre- and post-intervention study was conducted from October 2024 to April 2025 in the ICU of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in Bangladesh. We provided a competency-based educational program to nurses who worked in the ICU, focused on EBP for VAP prevention, with mentoring support from trained mentors. Mentors were the nurses who received EBP training on VAP prevention from the research team prior to the intervention. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The changes in nurses’ skills, knowledge, practice, motivation and work engagement were assessed using validated scales before and after the EBP training and implementation of EBP. Higher scores of the scales indicate better outcomes.

The results showed significant improvements in nurses’ skills, knowledge, practice, motivation and work engagement following EBP training (all, p < 0.001). After the EBP training, 88.5% nurses achieved high skill scores, and 84.6% maintained high performance throughout the implementation period. Significant correlations were observed between knowledge and skill (r = 0.294) after training; knowledge and practice (r = 0.335), motivation and work engagement (r = 0.320), and skill with motivation and work engagement (r = 0.275) (all, p < 0.05) after EBP implementation.

A structured EBP training program and mentoring system significantly enhanced ICU nurses’ competency (skills, knowledge, practice, motivation and work engagement) in EBP. The study highlights the importance of professional development, ongoing monitoring, and motivational strategies to support behavioral changes among nurses in low-resource settings.

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06624540.

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