Oral health care provided by nurses for hospitalized patients in Korea

Abstract

Objectives To investigate registered nurses’ awareness and implementation of oral health care in patients who are hospitalized in general wards or intensive care units (ICUs) in South Korea. Methods This research was performed as a descriptive survey of 149 nurses working in nine general hospitals with at least 100 beds in major Korean cities. Results Approximately half (40.9%) of the survey respondents reported providing oral health care for hospitalized patients but that relevant protocols were not available at most hospitals or wards (89.5%). Nurses working in an ICU were significantly more likely to provide oral health care than those working in general wards (83.9% vs 15.1%; P < .001). Most respondents (83.2%) were aware of the importance of providing oral health care for hospitalized patients; however, the proportion considering that such care should be provided by dental hygienists was greater than that considering it should be provided by nurses (36.4% vs 26.0%; P < .001). Agreement that oral health care should be provided for hospitalized patients by dental hygienists was highest in nurses working in ICUs (53.3%; P < .001). Conclusions According to this survey, oral healthcare provision is generally low in hospitalized patients and differs between ICUs and general wards. Most respondents considered that dental hygienists should provide oral health care for hospitalized patients. There is an opportunity for nurses and dental hygienists to work collaboratively towards development of an evidence‐based protocol for oral health care in hospitalized patients.

Nurses’ educational needs in the oral health of inpatients at Yazd Province in Iran: a Delphi study

“…These groups of patients include NPO and unconscious, admitted to critical care unit and undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, critically ill patients with an artificial airway. Lee et al (2019) indicated most participants considered that there is a need for evidence-based protocol for oral care for hospitalized patients, and nurses employed in the critical care unit are much more responsible in this regard compared to nurses working in the public ward [ 33 ].…”

Percepção Da Enfermagem Sobre a Higiene Oral Ao Paciente Hospitalizado

“…A rotina de cuidados de auxiliares e técnicos de enfermagem consiste em: verificação de parâmetros vitais, preparo e administração de medicamentos, cuidados de higiene e conforto, controle de ingestão e eliminações e coleta de material para exames (Souza, Santos, & Monteiro, 2013). Em relação à rotina dos enfermeiros, a mesma é dividida em atividades gerenciais, como passagem de plantão, controle da assiduidade dos funcionários e elaboração das escalas de serviços, atividades assistenciais, como visita de enfermagem, liderança e tomada de decisão (Lee, Noh, Han, & Jeon, 2019). Porém, devido à alta demanda do serviço de saúde, enfermeiros dedicam a maior parte do tempo a atividades gerenciais.…”

“…Portanto, a falta da higiene oral favorece o aparecimento e desenvolvimento de bactérias na cavidade oral, aumentam as chances de exposição a comorbidades, como pneumonia, além de causar comprometimento do estado imunológico (Lee, Noh, Han, & Jeon, 2019). Desta forma, é possível compreender a importância da higiene oral como prática preventiva.…”

A importância da presença do cirurgião-dentista em âmbito hospitalar – revisão de literatura

“…E para findar os exemplos, uma consequência frequente da negligência aos cuidados orais é a pneumonia nosocomial, que é obtida em uma média de 48 horas após a internação em hospital, e pode ser desenvolvida por intermédio da aspiração de agentes patológicos presentes na cavidade bucal. (Cavalcante et al, 2015;Zambrano et al, 2018;Lee et al, 2019).…”