Australian critical care nursing professionals' attitudes towards the use of traditional "chest physiotherapy" techniques.
Clint J Newstead, Jack A Seaton, Catherine L Johnston
PMID 30931037WHAT IT FOUND
Most Australian critical care nurses reported using traditional chest physiotherapy techniques, often independently, and saw it as part of nursing care.
Many said limited physiotherapy coverage outside weekday hours drove this, while asking for more training.
Key findings
0185% of respondents used traditional chest physiotherapy techniques in current practice, and 85% considered providing them part of a nurse's role.
0255% reported performing chest physiotherapy techniques both independently and under the direction of a physiotherapist.
03Nurses indicated that in the absence of physiotherapy coverage, they were required to provide chest physiotherapy treatments.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 142 members completed the survey, a response rate of 12%, and 1222 were eligible. The survey was custom designed and not validated. Participants were recruited from a critical care nursing membership group, so those interested in chest physiotherapy may have been more likely to respond. Knowledge, confidence, and understanding were self-reported, not observed or tested. The paper notes that many respondents had long clinical experience and may have learned chest physiotherapy when routine use was common, and that routine prophylactic use is no longer best practice.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest and said no financial or material support was received.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that traditional chest physiotherapy techniques are effective or that nurses should routinely perform them. It reports self-reported use and attitudes from a survey, not patient outcomes, and it notes that routine prophylactic use is no longer best practice.