Effect of Clinical Pathway Regarding to Care of Neonates on Noninvasive Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Abstract

Noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure (NICPAP) has become a useful modality in management of respiratory problems, especially in preterm neonates. The acronym NICPAP reflects a positive pressure applied to the airway of spontaneously breathing neonate throughout the respiratory cycle. Care of neonates with respiratory problems involves all the observation and intervention related to respiratory therapy. So, clinical pathway could be very beneficial for the patient, physician, nurse, and all health professionals. A clinical pathway explicitly states of goals and key elements of care based on evidence based medicine (EBM) guideline by facilitating the communication, coordinating roles and sequencing the activities of the multidisciplinary care team, patients and family; by documenting, monitoring and evaluating variances and by providing the necessary resources and outcomes (Schmölzer et al., 2013 and Brichard, 2014). The present study was aimed to assess nurses' knowledge regarding to clinical pathway, designing, implementing, and evaluating the effect of clinical pathway intervention on nurses toward care of neonates on noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure (NICPAP). Subject and method: Study design A Quasi -experimental design. Settings This study was carried out at the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of the following hospitals: 130 1- Children and Maternity & Gynecological Hospitals affiliated to Ain-Shams University. 2- El-Fayoum University Hospital. 3- El- Fayoum Teaching Hospital. 4- El-Fayoum Health Insurance Hospital.