Endotracheal Suctioning Practices Among Intensive Care Unit Nurses in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Mixed-Methods Assessment of Knowledge, Barriers, and Facilitators

Background Endotracheal suctioning (ETS) is a component of bronchial hygiene therapy and mechanical ventilation and involves the mechanical aspiration of pulmonary secretions from a patient with an artificial airway in place. This study aimed to assess ICU nurses’ adherence to evidence-based practices of endotracheal suctioning,identify knowledge gaps, explore barriers to improving patient care standards. Methods A mixed-method design was employed, consisting of a quantitative study of 152 ICU nurses and qualitative semi-structured interviews with 11 ICU nurses in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was conducted between August 1 2024-30 and August 2024 with nurses working in intensive care in the selected five public hospitals. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data underwent content analysis to identify barriers and facilitators of ETS practices. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentages) and inferential analysis (t-test, ANOVA and bi variate analysis). The study ethics committee approval, institutional permission, and participant consent were obtained before starting the research. Result The study revealed that ICU nurses’ overall adherence to ETS best practices was 47.2%, while the overall ICU nurses’ knowledge score of 64.6%. ICU nurses’ knowledge of ETS, training in ICU, and work experience in ICU were statistically significantly influenced ETS practice. The significance level of the predictor variables indicated at ( p < 0.05) confidence interval 95% statistically significant. Conclusion The findings revealed a significant gap between established evidence-based practice of ETS and the actual practices of ETS utilized by ICU nurses.