Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Knowledge Regarding Chest Physiotherapy

Mahmood Adil Ezzulddin  Al-Jubari; Younus Khudhur  Baeez

doi:10.17605/cajmns.v6i3.2788

Mahmood Adil Ezzulddin Al-Jubari MSc Student at University of Kirkuk, College of Nursing, Kirkuk, Iraq
Younus Khudhur Baeez Assistant Professor, PhD, Adult Nursing, Kirkuk University, Nursing College, Adult Nursing Department

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/cajmns.v6i3.2788

Keywords: Intensive Care Unit, Nurse, Knowledge, Chest Physiotherapy

Abstract

Chest physiotherapy is a critical interventional technique used in intensive care units to manage respiratory complications, improve lung function, and prevent potential respiratory-related complications in critically ill patients. Nurses play a vital role treating patients in the intensive care unit. Chest physiotherapy is often administered by nurses. as it requires nurses to have specialized knowledge and skills in chest percussion, vibration, deep breathing, postural drainage, and manually-assisted cough techniques. This study aims to assess nurses’ knowledge regarding chest physiotherapy at Kirkuk city Hospitals. A non-experimental cross-sectional design was utilized in this study from December 2024 to April 2025. A non-probability (purposive) sampling technique was used to collect data in the intensive care unit at Azadi Teaching Hospital and Kirkuk Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk, Iraq. There were 77 nurses in the study. The researcher constructed a questionnaire form to gather data on nurses' knowledge of chest physiotherapy. The questionnaires were sent to a panel of ten experts in various fields to ensure the tool's validity, and they were modified according to with their recommendations. The study results were analyzed using statistical data analysis methods in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Frequencies, percentages, mean scores (MS), and standard deviation (SD) were used for descriptive data analysis. Inferential data analysis was also used to draw logical conclusions. Results show that a substantial portion of nurses are in the age group of 25-29 years old, and most of them are female. The nurse's knowledge of the “Chest Percussion and Vibration Technique" was mostly high level. About three quarters of nurses (71.43%) had assessed a high level concerning "Deep Breathing Technique.” Finding nurses' knowledge of "Manually Assisted Cough Technique," results showed that (57.14%) had assessed at a high level; also, "Postural Drainage," results showed that (57.14%) had assessed at a moderate level. Finally, the finding of the study shows that the nurses’ knowledge had a highly significant relationship with nurses’ experience in the intensive care unit. Most of the nurses possess a high level of knowledge regarding chest physiotherapy. And there is a highly significant relationship between nurses’ knowledge concerning chest physiotherapy and their experience in the intensive care unit.

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