Non-Ventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (NV-HAP): Why Oral Care Matters

When our patients come to the hospital, their hope is for a return to health. Each year millions of patients check into US hospitals, and unfortunately some of them will get a hospital-acquired infection. This can lead to extra days in the hospital, significant delay in their overall recovery, and even death. Nursing leadership in the area of infection prevention is well-recognized. Over the last decade, nurses have been the frontline change agents that have helped to lower the overall incidence of hospital-acquired infection. However, there is a new number one hospital-acquired infection that has been hiding within our hospital walls.

This educational program will help nurses to:

• Describe outcomes when patients get non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP)
• Explain the pathophysiology of NV-HAP
• Analyze the role of the nurse in prevention of NV-HAP
• Illustrate examples of nursing leadership in quality improvement to prevent NV-HAP
• Summarize the next steps in NV-HAP at the national level