eptions of its use by nurses and respiratory therapists are important to understand. Because of the controversial nature of the intervention, nursing policy related to suctioning cannot be effectively implemented without an understanding of its use among professionals.
The review of the literature is done in a scholarly manner. It consists of approximately 20% of the document in length. Because of the controversy surrounding the suctioning intervention, the authors provide a review of the literature covering what is already known on the topic. The authors take us through a history of what is known on the topic, from the first comprehensive studies conducted to ones conducted on nurses practicing the technique.
The articles reviewed are significant to the problem under investigation. The authors provide information on techniques of tracheal aspiration, instillation of normal saline, the effect of instillation of normal saline on oxygen saturation, a survey on removed endotracheal tubes, and a survey on pediatric nurses working in ICU.
All five of the studies included in the literature review are empirically based. Demers and Saklad (1973) provide the first comprehensive review of techniques of tracheal aspiration. Bostick and Wendelgass (1987) conducted the largest study on instillation of normal saline. Ackerman’s (1993) study focuses on the effective of normal saline on oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry in 40 male subjects requiring mechanical ventilation (Schwenker, et al., 1998, 256). The study by Hagler and Traver (1994) was conducted on removed endotracheal tubes and conducted a study to reveal contamination. The final study in quantitative in nature, utilizing the survey methodology similar to the authors’ approach. Pediatric ICU nurses were surveyed by Swartz (et al., 1996) in order to determine the percentage of nurses who were utilizing instillation of normal saline before suctioning.
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