BRIDGING THE KNOWLEDGE GAP: ENHANCING TRACHEOSTOMY CARE SKILLS THROUGH STRUCTURED LEARNING

Abstract

Background-Tracheostomy care is essential for patients with severe respiratory issues, yet traditional
nursing education often inadequately prepares students for this complex procedure. This study explores
the impact of a structured educational program on improving the knowledge and skills of nursing students
in tracheostomy care.Aim-The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a
structured educational program in enhancing the knowledge, skills, and confidence of nursing students
regarding tracheostomy care.Methods-An evaluative approach with a pre-experimental one-group
pretest-post-test design was employed. The study was conducted at SCPM College of Nursing and
Paramedical Sciences, Gonda, UP, involving 40 second-year GNM students. A structured questionnaire
assessed knowledge levels before and after the intervention and study samples were recruited with the
help of purposive sampling technique. Data collection was performed by six trained BSc nursing tutors
and analysed using SPSS, with a significance level of <0.05 and a 95% confidence interval.Results-The
pretest mean score was 11.42 (SD = 1.9596), while the post-test mean score increased to 17.50 (SD =
2.2870), with a mean difference of 6.08. The standard error was 0.47, and the calculated t-value was
12.76, compared to the tabulated value of 1.685, indicating a significant improvement in knowledge
levels.Conclusion-The structured educational program significantly enhanced the knowledge and
practical skills of nursing students regarding tracheostomy care, demonstrating its effectiveness as a
teaching method.