Effectiveness of Communication Board on Level of Satisfaction among Mechanically Ventilated Patients at Intensive Care Unit in a Tertiary Hospital

Introduction: Critical care nurses are crucial in managing critical patients, facing challenges with advanced technology, alarms, ventilators, and multiple laboratory investigations. They must effectively communicate and manage patients on mechanical ventilation (MV), a lifesaving intervention for those needing oxygenation and ventilation support to ensure patient satisfaction.

Materials and methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental design with 80 mechanically ventilated patients selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using demographic and clinical pro forma and a predesigned four-point Likert satisfaction scale comprised 14 items. The intervention group utilized a communication board, while the conventional group received routine care. The aim was to evaluate satisfaction levels in both groups, followed by a posttest on the 5^th day using the same instrument.

Results: The pretest revealed mean satisfaction scores of 32.47 ± 6.48 and 33.95 ± 6.41 for the intervention and conventional groups, respectively, with a mean difference of 1.47, considered statistically nonsignificant (t ₇₈ = 1.023, P = 0.310). Conversely, posttest scores showed 37.85 ± 8.23 and 34.32 ± 6.18 for the intervention and conventional groups, respectively, with a mean difference of 3.53, indicating statistical significance (t ₇₈ = 2.164, P = 0.034). Hence, the communication board intervention significantly enhanced satisfaction scores among mechanically ventilated patients, underscoring its positive impact on nursing care in terms of patients' satisfaction.

Conclusion: Effective communication is crucial in intensive care unit patient care, especially for those unable to speak due to MV. Utilizing communication boards significantly enhances patient satisfaction, highlighting the need for ongoing innovation in critical care nursing.