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Nursing Students’ Knowledge and Practices of Standard Precautions: A Jordanian Web-based Survey
... Similarly, pre-registration nurses are still closely associated with the transmission of HAIs, often exposed to poor practices influenced by other HCWs during their clinical placement (Carter et al., 2017;Gould and Drey, 2013;Kamunge et al., 2015). A cross-sectional study in the United Kingdom with 488 student nurses exposed their hand hygiene non-compliance, while in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, limited clinical experiences concerning standard precautions, personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and lack of continuous training contributed to increased risk of HAIs (Al-Rawajfah and Tubaishat, 2015;Cruz, 2019;Gould and Drey, 2013). Nevertheless, student nurses have been shown to adopt precautionary actions based on their knowledge and perception when exposed to infectious diseases (Cheung et al., 2015). ...
... The literature emphasises the inconsistencies of IPC core competencies amongst pre-registration nurses across different settings and the need for education and training providers to respond (Al-Rawajfah and Tubaishat, 2015;Carter et al., 2017;Cheung et al., 2015;Cox et al., 2014;Cruz, 2019;Gould and Drey, 2013;Kamunge et al., 2015;Mitchell et al., 2014). Continuous education and training establish the IPC core competencies to override habitual sub-optimal practice in clinical settings. ...
... It is comparable to an Egyptian study that alluded to the future of IPC education to introduce online refresher training to minimise the risk of exposure during clinical practice for dental students (El-Saaidi et al., 2021). Other studies further endorsed that interactive IPC courseware promotes critical thinking with complex scenarios and assessments (Al-Rawajfah and Tubaishat, 2015;Cruz, 2019;Davran, 2020). The strategy reflected that interactive courseware with simulation-based scenarios is a well-received educational method that contributed to self-efficacy and motivation to learners' own pace and convenience. ...
... Satisfactory: 50th-75th percentile (range: 10-15), III. Excellent: >75th percentile (range: 16-20; AL-Rawajfah & Tubaishat, 2015;Sarani et al., 2016). The compliance with SPs scale consists of 20 items on a 5-point Likert scale. ...
... Regarding predictors of compliance with SPs, this study revealed that knowledge is positively correlated with compliance, indicating that the higher the knowledge scores, the better the compliance; this result agrees with other studies (Al-Faouri et al., 2021;Luo et al., 2010). In addition, a very weak positive correlation was found by Al-Rawajfah and Tubaishat (2015). However, other researchers (Almhammd et al., 2020;Aung et al., 2017;Ogoina et al., 2015;Oh & Choi, 2019;Sarani et al., 2016), found that knowledge was not correlated with compliance. ...
... In the current study, gender is not correlated with compliance, supporting other findings (Al-Faouri et al., 2021;Al-Rawajfah & Tubaishat, 2015;Aung et al., 2017). However, Haile et al. (2017) showed that female nurses were 2.18 times more compliant than male nurses. ...
Introduction
The spread of microorganisms is caused by direct or indirect contact, respiratory droplets, and airborne transmission. Knowledge and compliance with standard precautions are crucial in preventing infection in the hospital.
Objectives
To assess the level of knowledge and compliance with standard precautions among registered nurses who work in military hospitals and the factors affecting compliance with standard precautions.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Four hundred and eight registered nurses at three Jordanian Royal Medical Services hospitals completed an online self-report questionnaire using a convenience sampling technique. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used to analyze the data.
Results
The level of knowledge of standard precautions among nurses was excellent, with an overall mean score of 15.59 ± 2.22 out of 20; around half (54%) of them had an excellent level. Nurses’ compliance with standard precautions was intermediate, with an overall mean score of 59.65 ± 14.57 out of 80. Forty-seven percent of nurses had a high degree of compliance. Compliance with standard precautions was correlated positively with age, working experience in years, total knowledge score, training in standard precautions, and availability of personal protective equipment, and negatively with exposure to sharp injuries.
Conclusion
Nurses play a key role in preventing and managing hospital infections through their responsibility for a large proportion of patient treatment and care. Therefore, efforts should be made to improve nurses’ perceptions of the basic elements of standard precautions. Even so, results showed that compliance with standard precautions was intermediate. This highlights the need to take the necessary measures to raise the level of compliance. Even so, results showed that compliance with standard precautions was intermediate. This highlights the need to take the necessary measures to raise the level of compliance.
... These precautions include hand washing, hand rub, gowns, gloves, masks, goggles, and face shields [1]. Studies of low-and middle-income countries indicated that nursing students' knowledge, attitude, and compliance with standard precautions were low and inadequate [6,7]. Al-Rawajfah and Tubaishat (2015) conducted a study that evaluated knowledge and practice of standard precautions among nursing students in Jordan; students had overall satisfactory knowledge, with a mean of 13.8 out of 18 [6]. ...
... Studies of low-and middle-income countries indicated that nursing students' knowledge, attitude, and compliance with standard precautions were low and inadequate [6,7]. Al-Rawajfah and Tubaishat (2015) conducted a study that evaluated knowledge and practice of standard precautions among nursing students in Jordan; students had overall satisfactory knowledge, with a mean of 13.8 out of 18 [6]. In Darawad and Al-Hussami's study, students showed inadequate knowledge of infection control precautions. ...
... Study researchers set up the tool package according to relevant literature and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines concerning knowledge, attitude, and compliance with standard precautions [1,[6][7][8].The demographic characteristics of the nursing students include age, gender, nursing level, and a previous infection control course. The knowledge of and attitudes toward standard precautions were developed based on previous studies [6,8]; knowledge of standard precautions involved 18 items, and 16 items were attitudes toward standard precautions. ...
Game-based virtual reality phone applications can create a realistic environment to prepare for clinical applications and improve students' knowledge of and compliance with standard precautions. An experimental study was performed among 126 nursing students' from the third and fourth nursing levels to determine the effect of online education and game-based virtual reality phone applications related to standard precautions. Students were divided randomly into two groups; the experimental group used online education and game-based virtual reality phone applications, while the control group used traditional education. The study was performed between July and August 2019 to prevent clashes with lectures and midterm and final examinations. A tool package including knowledge, attitude, and compliance with standard precautions was used in pre-and post-tests among nursing students. The results showed that the knowledge of, attitudes towards, and compliance with standard precautions differed between the two groups. The performance of the experimental group of nursing students significantly improved with online instruction and game-based virtual reality phone applications. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of online education and game-based virtual reality phone application among nursing students.
... Questionnaire of either knowledge or compliance of standard precautions can be divided into domains of hand hygiene, proper use of PPE, decontamination of equipment and environment, proper linen management, proper spills management, proper waste management, proper sharps management, and proper respiratory hygiene or cough etiquette. Our pilot study to among 30 of nursing students in Kuantan showed that both of the instrument were valid and reliable to be used in our population, evidenced by Cronbach's alpha between 0.91 and 0.97 and supported to the findings of the previous studies (7,8). ...
... In this study, the findings showed that the undergraduate nursing students had a very good knowledge represented with the score percentage of 90.9% and a very good compliance of standard precautions with the score percentage of 91.8%. Findings from the previous studies in the West and East Coast region of Peninsular Malaysia as well as most of the studies from the worldwide showed that knowledge and compliance of standard precautions among the nursing students were between good and very good (7,(9)(10)(11)(12). The scores of this study corresponded to the previous studies that suggested the score of 67% and above indicated that having a good knowledge of standard precautions (5,9,10,13) and the score of 75% and above indicated that having a good compliance of standard precautions (14)(15)(16)(17). ...
... However, most studies revealed that knowledge of hand hygiene had the highest score and knowledge of proper spills management had the lowest score which was similar to our findings (5,14,18). Several studies found that nursing students also had the highest knowledge of standard precautions on the proper use of PPE and proper sharps management (7,17). Goje et al. explained that the reason for these findings was due to lack of experience with a particular procedure at the clinical settings affecting their knowledge of the standard precautions principles associated with the procedure (13). ...
Background: Lack of knowledge and understanding of standard precautions, and insufficient compliance with the established guidelines in nursing students will increase the risk of exposure to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). This study aims to determine knowledge and compliance of standard precautions among the undergraduate nursing students and to identify the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the undergraduate nursing students from a Malaysian public university in Pahang. A convenience sampling was used to select the participants. The participants were asked to complete an online survey consisting of questionnaire of knowledge and compliance of standard precautions. Results: A total of 178 undergraduate nursing students completed the questionnaires (response rate = 95%). Their mean age was 22.7 years old (SD = 1.1). The score of standard precautions knowledge was 90.9% (mean score = 16.4/18, SD = 1.5) and the score of compliance was 91.8% (mean score = 73.4/80, SD = 10.7). There were significant associations between age (p = 0.002), year of study (p = 0.032) and clinical posting experience (p = 0.010) with knowledge of standard precautions. Whilst only age (p = 0.011) was significantly associated with compliance of standard precautions. There was a significant positive association between knowledge and compliance of standard precautions (rs = 0.187, p = 0.012). Conclusion: Knowledge and compliance of standard precaution among the undergraduate nursing students were high and achieved the expected requirement for clinical posting. A continuous effort to improve adherence to standard precautions in nursing students is necessary to protect and prevent them from getting infected particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
... Although the risk of occupational exposure to BBODs can be diminished by strict compliance with standard precautions (SPs), [17] some studies have indicated that university students are noncompliant in this regard. [18,19] SPs are essential protective measures for managing infections, maintaining health, and reducing occupational hazards. [20] SPs include washing the hands, the use of protective barriers such as gloves, masks, gowns, and safety glasses; and management of sharp instruments. ...
... [18] Some studies still attribute the students' noncompliance with SPs to the lack of knowledge on infection control and poor attitude toward SPs. [18,19] A review study also introduced insufficient knowledge as one of the most significant causes of the global prevalence of hospital-acquired infections. [21] Students' noncompliance with SPs imposes a heavy psycho-economic burden on the individual and the healthcare system. ...
... These results are consistent with the findings of the studies by Shinde and Mohite, and Khubrani et al. [24,25] However, the nursing students' score of knowledge was very lower in the two studies conducted in Jordan. [17,19] The authors of the above article attributed the students' low scores to lack of inclusion of the concept in the curriculum or not including the infection control course in the curriculum [25] Although in the present study most of the students showed a moderate level of knowledge about infection control and SPs, no significant correlation was found between the students' knowledge and practice. Perhaps, as Darawad and Al-Hussami reported, students' knowledge of SPs is not a predictor of their proper practice in this regard. ...
Background: Due to the nature of their academic field and clinical training, students of nursing, midwifery, and surgical technology are exposed to the risk of damages due to sharp instruments, blood, and body fluids. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of students of nursing, midwifery, and surgical technology about standard precautions and self-protection in the clinical settings. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Nursing and Midwifery School of Kashan University of Medical Sciences, 2018. A total of 300 students were selected through nonprobability quota sampling. A four-part questionnaire was used to collect the data on the students' characteristics, and their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the special safety percussions. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and SPSS software version 16. Results: No significant connection was found between the students' knowledge, attitudes, and practice and their demographic characteristics. Most students had a moderate level of knowledge about self-protection in the clinical setting. None of the students had good knowledge and compliance with safety principles. A significant correlation was found between knowledge and attitudes (P = 0.01, r = 0.14) and between attitudes and practice (P = 0.00, r = 0.29). No significant correlation was found between the students' knowledge and practice (P = 0.52, r = 0.037). Conclusions: Acquisition of a moderate level of knowledge, attitudes, and practice indicates that the students were familiar with the concepts examined; nonetheless, this level may not suffice for appropriate and safe practice in the clinical setting.
... This study demonstrates that compliance with IPC practices among Korean nursing students ahead of graduation is moderate. The study participants (79.74%) showed higher compliance with IPC than students in Australia (59.8%) [15] and Saudi Arabia (61.8%) [6] but lower than in Jordan (84.3%) [19]. Such differences have been argued to be due to different curriculum and clinical environments among countries [19]. ...
... The study participants (79.74%) showed higher compliance with IPC than students in Australia (59.8%) [15] and Saudi Arabia (61.8%) [6] but lower than in Jordan (84.3%) [19]. Such differences have been argued to be due to different curriculum and clinical environments among countries [19]. ...
... However, it was lower than the 76.6%-83.0% correct rate in studies that only assessed standard precautions [12,19]. Looking at previous studies, a few have found that knowledge has a significant effect on compliance [20], but many more studies have reported that knowledge has no significant effect [18,19,27,29]. ...
The purpose of this study was to examine compliance with infection prevention and control practice and factors affecting compliance in nursing students who are about to graduate. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A total of 178 students from two nursing colleges in South Korea responded to self-reported questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. Mean score for compliance was 4.09 ± 0.43 out of 5. The highest score was on compliance with prevention of cross-infection (4.42 ± 0.54) and the lowest was on use of protective devices (3.86 ± 0.78). Non–occupational exposure scores on compliance subcategories were significantly higher than those for occupational exposure. Students’ perception of safe environment for infection control and a positive attitude toward infection control predicted compliance significantly (β = 0.28, p < 0.001; β = 0.18, p = 0.014, respectively). The findings clarify that the level of infection control compliance among Korean nursing students is moderate. In order to increase the level of compliance, a climate that emphasizes a safe environment for healthcare-associated infections should be strengthened. In addition, nursing education should endeavor to develop a positive attitude toward infection prevention.
... Student nurses studying in different hospitals of Hong Kong China, have 78.2% knowledge of SPs [9]. A study conducted on 594 nursing students of six public sector and four private hospitals in Jordin showed that 79% of the students answered correctly the part of questionnaire related to Knowledge about standard precaution [10]. ...
... A study conducted in China by Luo, Y on nurses' compliance to SPs found that 64% of nurses have good compliance to standard precautions. Study on student's compliance to SPs in six public and four private universities in Joran resulted in mean compliance score was 67.4% [10]. Whereas students in Mazdaran hospital depicted different findings; the study reported that that 6% to 37% of health care workers and 47% medical students don't know about standard precautions [15]. ...
... are the main factor of non-compliance to standard precautions, while 20% of the participant on this study responded that it is not practical [10]. Though there are few studies available on the topic in different part of the world but there is a dearth of studies on this topic from Pakistani context. ...
... In another study conducted on nursing students in Jordan, the average knowledge score of the samples was 13.8 out of 18, and about 80% of knowledge-raising questions were correctly answered. Also, the average student performance score was 67.4 out of 80 [9]. ...
... The third part, with 54 questions, was related to the performance of nursing students regarding the standards of Nosocomial infections control. The second and third parts of the questionnaire were developed according to the topics of infection control modules, and previous articles [4,9,10]. Validity of the questionnaire was assessed by content validity method, which included two qualitative and quantitative sections. ...
... Research evidences suggest that performance improves as knowledge increases [18][19][20]. However, in some studies, no significant relationship has been found between the knowledge and performance of nurses about infection control measures [9,11], which is not consistent with our findings. ...
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and performance of nursing students in regard to the standards of nosocomial infections control.
Results:
The average score of knowledge and performance of the subjects was 12.49 ± 2.3 from 18 and 43.07 ± 0.67 from 54, respectively. There was a direct and significant correlation between the knowledge and performance of students (r = 0.46, p < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant relationship between the knowledge of students and variables such as gender and academic year of the students, but there was a significant relationship between students' performance, and gender (p = 0.014) and academic year (p = 0.015).
... Results show the overall compliance rate of the students was moderate, which was similar to the results found in another study conducted among Saudi nursing students using a similar tool [24]. In this study, Saudi students have attained relatively higher scores on SPs compliance compared to Australian nursing students (59.8%) [25], but lower than students from Ghana (61.3%) [26], Italy (74.2%) [27], and Jordan (79.9%) [28]. This finding may be because each country has a different curricular content on infection control [29]. ...
... Similarly, the absence of a national standard plan for SPs practice and poor practical short-term courses in undergraduate nursing curricula courses programs were observed in Italy [27]. Moreover, the absence of a special course on infection control issues in the nursing curricula was also reported in Jordanian universities [28]. This study revealed female students were more compliant to SPs as compared with males. ...
... This earlier year focused on the fundamentals of nursing theory and concepts in the classroom setting and is strengthened by practical courses by demonstrating nursing procedures. This finding coincides with the claim that comprehensive learning outcome in SPs begins during the second and third years of the BSN program in Jordan and Hong Kong [28,36]. Students at this stage are expected to develop good quality skills in SPs by being engaged in classroom and clinical settings. ...
... 6,7 Considering the importance, cost, and prevalence of HAIs at different and wards of hospitals, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have proposed 2 approaches to controlling infections: standard precautions and transmission-based precautions. 6,8,9 Standard precautions refer to the basic principles of controlling infections to protect health care team members against HAIs. These precautions include handwashing, protective barriers (gloves, masks, guns, and eye protection), managing sharp objects, and managing patient-associated care instruments. ...
... Transmission-based precautions are used when the standard precautions are inadequate for controlling infections. 8,10,11 Nurses, as the largest group constituting the health care team, have the greatest contact with patients and are at higher risk of developing HAIs. 12 Poor knowledge is one of the most important causes of high HAI prevalence worldwide. ...
... Out of 16 studies, 12 had been done on nurses employed in hospitals 15,22,23,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] and 6 on nursing students. 6,8,18,24,34,35 The sampling method in most studies was convenience sampling (n = 12). The method of completing the questionnaires in most studies was selfreport (n = 16). ...
Background:
The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature to describe nurses' knowledge and practice of and attitude toward infection control and prevention standards.
Methods:
In the present systematic review, 4 electronic databases were searched from the inception of databases through March 2018. Quality of included studies was assessed using the Hoy tool.
Results:
Eighteen studies conducted on 4,577 employed nurses and nursing students entered the final stage. Results indicated that nurses in most studies had adequate knowledge (n = 10, 40%-90%) and positive attitude (n = 4, 37%-100%). However, most studies reflected average and poor nursing practices with regard to adherence to infection control and prevention standards. The most frequent recommendations proposed for improving nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice included periodic training via scientific conferences and relevant practical courses (n = 12), combining up-to-date theoretical and practical programs (n = 6), and training at the beginning of hospital employment (n = 4).
Conclusions:
The results of the present study indicate that although nurses in most studies had adequate knowledge of and positive attitude toward health care-associated infections, because of average and poor practices, they need systematic and integrated implementation of the presented recommendations.
... Results show the overall compliance rate of the students was moderate, which was similar to the results found in another study conducted among Saudi nursing students using a similar tool [24]. In this study, Saudi students have attained relatively higher scores on SPs compliance compared to Australian nursing students (59.8%) [25], but lower than students from Ghana (61.3%) [26], Italy (74.2%) [27], and Jordan (79.9%) [28]. This finding may be because each country has a different curricular content on infection control [29]. ...
... Similarly, the absence of a national standard plan for SPs practice and poor practical short-term courses in undergraduate nursing curricula courses programs were observed in Italy [27]. Moreover, the absence of a special course on infection control issues in the nursing curricula was also reported in Jordanian universities [28]. This study revealed female students were more compliant to SPs as compared with males. ...
... This earlier year focused on the fundamentals of nursing theory and concepts in the classroom setting and is strengthened by practical courses by demonstrating nursing procedures. This finding coincides with the claim that comprehensive learning outcome in SPs begins during the second and third years of the BSN program in Jordan and Hong Kong [28,36]. Students at this stage are expected to develop good quality skills in SPs by being engaged in classroom and clinical settings. ...
Introduction:
Nursing students are susceptible to healthcare-associated infections because of their direct patient interactions during their clinical training. Hence, compliance with standard precautions (SPs) is paramount during their clinical exposure and training. This study investigated the compliance with SPs and its predictors among Saudi nursing students from six universities.
Methodology:
This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in six government universities in Saudi Arabia. A convenience sample of 829 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students was surveyed using the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out to analyze the data.
Results:
The overall compliance rate of the respondents was 60.1% with a mean score of 12.02 (SD = 4.50). The students reported highest compliance on covering the mouth and nose when wearing a mask, while the lowest compliance was on disposing sharps box before it is full. The university, academic year level, and attendance to infection prevention and control training or seminar in the last six months were identified as significant predictors of the students' compliance with SPs.
Conclusions:
The findings provide valuable insights and guidance for improving the practice of SPs among future nurses, which could result in the reduction of infection exposure and its transmission rates among future nurses in clinical settings.
... The minimum accepted value of CVR is 0.59 determined by Lawshe's table for eight panelists. [15] The response process (face validity) was quantified by computing FVI for item clarity and comprehension, like CVI. The 12 raters rated the evaluation on a 4-point scale ranging from 1 = not clear to 4 = very clear, and the importance of each item on a 4-point Likert scale (not important to very important). ...
... Students do not follow standard precautions unless they are followed by trainers. [15,16] We found that the trainers agreed on the need to keep students aware of the need to use personal protective equipment and sanitizers to protect others from contracting cross-infection through those students. ...
Background
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices during nursing students’ clinical training are based on standardized precautions. However, the spread of COVID-19 raised the need to revise these practices. We aimed in this study to assess nurse educators’ agreement on items that represent precautionary guidelines, which enhance safety during clinical training of students. It aimed to reach an agreement among nurse educators on IPC practices to ensure safe clinical training.
Materials and Methods
This descriptive explorative, cross-sectional study included 243 Jordanian and Omani educators. The study questionnaire was based mainly on evidence reported in the literature. The study questionnaire comprised items for trainers to practice and items to supervise students. It was developed based on available evidence and recommended training practices during COVID-19 suggested by the WHO and the literature. Both the face and content validity processes were adopted to validate the study questionnaire. The final version was composed of 26 items for trainers and 20 items for students subsumed in the following themes: protecting self, protecting others, and essential training needs.
Results
All questionnaire items were rated above the midpoint indicating agreement among participants on including the new IPC practices. All suggested practices (26 items for the trainers and 20 items for the students) were supported by the study participants.
Conclusions
Clinical training is an important component of nursing students’ preparation. Findings suggest the importance of adding new IPC practices to improve student IPC practices, protect themselves and others, minimize cross-infections, and enhance students’ training within a safe clinical environment.
... Vocational education does seem to influence student nurses' knowledge of IPC, but during clinical training discrepancies between theory and practice may appear Cox et al., 2014;Korhonen et al., 2019). There is evidence that student nurses' knowledge and the ability to apply IPC are not sufficient (AL-Rawajfah & Tubaishat, 2015;Kelcíkova et al., 2012). The nursing curricula should prepare students to understand and apply IPC knowledge in a professional way in a range of clinical situations (Cox et al., 2014). ...
... In contrast, washing one's hands (hand wash) is an action whereby the hands are cleaned using soap and water when they are visibly soiled. Several authors (AL-Rawajfah & Tubaishat, 2015;Caniza et al., 2007;Jeong & Kim, 2016;Ward, 2013) consider handwashing sufficient. In this study, hand washing was not considered to be a professional manner for healthcare workers to clean their hands at work. ...
When teaching infection prevention and control (IPC), nursing education tends to focus on skills and fostering good practice rather than challenging students’ thinking. Therefore, students’ misconceptions about IPC receive less attention than they deserve. The purpose of the study was to make an inventory of student nurses’ misconceptions about IPC before instruction and to make these misconceptions visible to teachers. The study was conducted in one vocational institute in Finland and is based on the answers of 29 practical nurse students before IPC training. The students took an online test requiring them to justify their answers to two multiple-true–false questions: 1) What is the main route of transmission between patients in healthcare facilities, and 2) What is the most effective and easiest manner to prevent the spreading of pathogens, e.g., multi-resistant bacteria in long-term care facilities? Analysis of the students’ written justifications resulted in three mental models: 1) the Household Hygiene Model manifesting lay knowledge learned in domestic situations, 2) the Mixed Model consisting of lay knowledge, enriched with some professional knowledge of IPC, and 3) the Transmission Model manifesting a professional understanding of IPC. The first two mental models were considered to be misconceptions. Only one of the participants showed a professional understanding (i.e., the Transmission Model). To conclude, student nurses manifested systematic patterns of misconceptions before instruction. Unless the students are confronted with their misconceptions of IPC during instruction, it is likely that these misconceptions will impede their learning or make learning outcomes transient.
... Similarly, this erroneous practice by nursing students and staffs has been reported in previous studies [32][33][34]. A study among nursing students in Saudi Arabia showed a high compliance rate for the disposal of used sharp articles into sharps-only boxes (84.3%) and a low compliance rate for not recapping used needles (49.2%) [18]. ...
... Regarding the CSPS items of cross-infection prevention, a high compliance rate was reported for washing hands between patients' contacts (82.8%), immediately decontaminating hands after removing gloves (81%) and for changing gloves after contact with each patient (79.3%). These results are comparable to those reported in previous studies in Hong Kong, Jordan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia [18,34,35,38]. ...
Background
Rigorous implementation of infection prevention and control practices by healthcare workers in different healthcare settings is of utmost importance. Neonates, particularly preterm babies in neonatal intensive care units, are a vulnerable population at high risk for developing nosocomial infections. Nurses have the greatest risk of spreading healthcare-associated infections among patients and healthcare workers. This study was conducted to assess the compliance of neonatal intensive care unit nurses with standard precautions of infection control and to identify the potential influencing factors.
Results
This was a cross-sectional study, whereby the compliance of a total of 58 neonatal intensive care unit nurses with standard precautions of infection control was assessed using the Arabic version of the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale (CSPS-A). Student’s t test, ANOVA test, and post hoc test were used for analysis.
A suboptimal compliance rate (66.7%) was detected, with the highest for disposal of sharp articles into sharps boxes (86.2%) and the lowest for disposal of sharps box not only when full (27.6%). Significant differences were observed when participants were grouped according to their clinical experience and qualifications, where participants with longer clinical experience displayed higher mean scores for the use of protective devices score ( P = 0.024), disposal of sharps score ( P = 0.003), and total CSPS score ( P = 0.006).
Conclusions
Clinical experience and educational qualifications are key factors that impact nurses’ compliance with infection control practices. Nurses should receive up-to-date evidence-based educational and practical sessions that link theory to clinical practice and elucidate the importance of accurate implementation of proper infection prevention and control practices.
... The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention periodically updates standard infection control guidelines, which detail principal practices that are applied to protect the health professional teams and patients from infections (O'Hara et al., 2018). Results from previous research in Middle East countries showed suboptimal knowledge among health-care professional students about standard precautions (AL-Rawajfah and Tubaishat, 2015;Khubrani et al., 2018;Nasiri et al., 2019). Therefore, it is important to assess the students' preparedness level, in terms of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding any emerging infectious outbreak. ...
... No missing data for any of the study variables were found. According to previous similar research (AL-Rawajfah and Tubaishat, 2015;Caliskan et al., 2020;Taghrir et al., 2020), the total knowledge score was classified as 'unsatisfactory' (< 50th percentile, 0-12), 'satisfactory' (50th and 75th percentiles, 13-18) and 'excellent' (>75th percentile, 19-25). Whereas, the total attitude score was categorized as 'positive attitude (> 50th percentile, 12-35) and 'negative attitude (≤50 percentile, 36-60), taking in consideration that negative items were reverse coded. ...
Assessing knowledge, attitude, and practices of healthcare students regarding any infectious outbreak became a fundamental step to set an effective plan related to their preparedness. The purpose of this study was to assess COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, and precautionary practices among health professional students in Oman.
Data were collected using the Web-based survey method. The sample was recruited from the largest college of Medicine in Oman, while the nursing sample was recruited from two different nursing colleges in Oman. The study tool was developed based on the most recent advisory COVID-19 recommendations from the WHO and the CDC. A total of 222 students filled the survey, of which 55% were medical students and 59.9% were females. The mean knowledge score was 16.5 (SD = 4.2), which represents 66% of the highest possible score, with 25.7% were classified as ‘excellent knowledge’. Participants reported a high level of public precautionary practices (M = 44.1, SD = 5.0), which represents 84.6% of the highest score, with 61.3% were classified as ‘high compliance. The mean attitude score was 40.3 (SD = 5.9), which represents 67% of the highest possible score. According to the classification categories, the majority of the students (81%, n = 180) expressed a positive attitude toward COVID-19.
More efforts should be done toward preparing the healthcare students to deal with the outbreak. Preparing healthcare students with the right knowledge, attitude, and precautionary practices during the COVID-19 outbreak is very essential to patient and public safety. Healthcare students can play a major role in increasing public awareness about COVID-19 precautionary practices.
... As such, various approaches have been put in place to improve HH habits in nursing students. Aside from emphasizing HH education in schools, frequent assessment and monitoring is also underscored (Al Rawajfah & Tubaishat 2015;Labrague et al. 2012;Sundal et al. 2017). ...
... Despite the methodological challenges identified in this review, it was found that evidence showed a low-to-moderate knowledge of, and compliance with, HH in nursing students. Although higher than that for registered nurses (Mertz et al. 2011), this finding is in keeping with previous studies highlighting minimal to higher HH compliance in nursing students (Al Rawajfah & Tubaishat 2015;Cole 2009;Labrague et al. 2012;Sundal et al. 2017). With this, nurse educators should ensure that these future nurses recognize the relevance of HH as a preventive approach towards preventing infection, when to perform it, and how to correctly perform it. ...
Background:
Behavioural theories are crucial to the development and success of effective hand hygiene interventions. Research demonstrates that hand hygiene behaviours can also be influenced by religious and cultural beliefs. In this paper we detail the processes undertaken to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire to examine healthcare workers' beliefs and behaviours related to the use of alcoholbased hand rub (ABHR), with particular emphasis on associated religious and cultural factors.
Methods:
Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, an existing questionnaire was modified and pilot-tested on 35 staff in the Quality Department. Cronbach's alpha values and mean inter-item correlations of the scale items were the main outcome measures. A Pearson correlation was conducted to assess for social desirability response bias.
Results:
The questionnaire demonstrated high content and face validity and satisfactory internal consistency in most scales, except for the religious beliefs, cultural beliefs and perceived behavioural control scales, where the inter-item correlations were 0.10, 0.13, and 0.14, respectively. There was a significant correlation between scores on the social desirability scale and the attitude scale. Partial correlation should be used to control the effect of social desirability responding when analysing data from the attitudes scale.
Conclusions:
A validation process allowed the introduction and subsequent modification of religious and cultural belief scales to an existing questionnaire examining behavioural and attitudinal influences on hand hygiene using ABHR. Such processes should be considered for questionnaire development and modification when considering religious and cultural factors as drivers of behaviour.
... 1,2 HAIs, which pose a great risk for both patients and healthcare workers, are also a potential danger for healthcare students who will be the healthcare professionals of the future. [3][4][5] Nursing education consists of theoretical and practical training. Practical preparation process. ...
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Nurses are health professionals who have direct contact with the patient and play an important role in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the personal protective equipment (PPE) and surgical hand-washing (SHW) knowledge levels of nursing students in the preoperative period.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study included 122 nursing students who were studying in North Cyprus. The data of the study were collected in April, 2019 using the PPE (20 questions) and SHW (20 questions) information form (8 questions) which consist of 48 questions in total. Statistical comparisons were made using the Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Pearson correlation test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: Class 2 and 3 had the same amount of the students (61 students in each class). 91.8% of the students had graduated from standard high schools and 122 (100%) of the students had received isolation methods in the courses in their curriculum. The mean total score of the female students was 68.8±8.79 points and the mean total score of the class three students was 68.7±9.72 from the PPE and SHW information form. Students received 67.41±9.44 points from both of the sub-dimensions of the PPE and SHW Form. Correlation levels of PPE and SHW were
found to be of a medium level correlation for the average of the total score of the data form (r=0.418 p=0.00).
CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, they showed that the student nurses have a medium level of information regarding the PPE and SHW information form.
Keywords: Knowledge, preoperative period, personal protective equipment, hand disinfection
... [5][6][7][8][9] The results observed in our study can be explained by the fact that there is a lack of a specialist course to teach IPC measures within nursing curriculum. 14 The findings of this current study will guide nursing educators in revising curriculum and ensuring that topics related to prevention of HAIs are emphasized within both theory and clinical courses. Evidences also suggested that revising the nursing curriculum and raising the ceilings of units related to infection control measures would be a useful measure to increase the knowledge and enhance the performance of nursing students. ...
Background
Healthcare-associated infections increase the patients’ hospital stay, morbidity and
mortality. It is important that professionals including students acquire knowledge on
infection and acquire skills regarding preventive measures.
Objective
The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge, perception and confidence
on infection prevention and control measures and to find the correlation between
variables among nursing students.
Method
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 163 nursing students
where a purposive sampling method was used to collect data using the self�structured questionnaire via emails. The questionnaire contained four parts; part I:
demographic characteristics, part II: knowledge (40 items), part III: perception (42
items) and part IV: confidence in performance (42 items) on infection prevention and
control. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics where analysis
of variance using Scheffe’s post hoc test and Pearson’s correlation test were used.
Result
Overall knowledge of the participants was fair (71%). They had good knowledge in
general principles (85%) but notable poor knowledge in waste management (2%).
There was a statistically significant difference in the knowledge among different
levels of the students. A static correlation was found between the knowledge and
confidence in performance whereas, perception was highly correlated with the
confidence in performance of the participants.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the students had fair
level of knowledge regarding infection control measures. This study recommends
the revision of nursing curriculum and mandating a standardized infection control
curriculum across all schools of nursing in the country to improve the knowledge
and practice.
KEY WORDS
Healthcare associated infections, Infection control, Knowledge, Nursing students
... These are the fundamental principles for managing infections that aim to safeguard healthcare personnel against HAIs [11] . These precautions consist of various measures, such as hand hygiene, using protective barriers like gloves, masks, goggles, and face shields, safe handling of sharp instruments, and proper management of patient care equipment [12] . ...
Introduction: Hospital-acquired infection (HAI) is one of the most frequent issues that hospitals are facing in every country worldwide. Since nurses are an essential part of the medical workforce that they play a special role in preventing the transmission of infections within hospitals. Objective: This study aims to determine the relationship between nurses’ knowledge and application. Methodology: a cross-sectional study that includes 400 nurses from eight hospitals of Babylon governorate. An interview questionnaire used to assess the knowledge and application levels. Data were collected during the period between September 2022 and March 2023 and these data were analyzed by SPSS-27. Results: the main results showed that 56.3% of nurses had high level of knowledge about standard precautions. While 51.5% of participants had poor application about standard precautions. a significant positive relationship was found between nurses' level of knowledge and their level of application (P value <0.01; r=0.180). Conclusion: standard precautions are the minimum required for infection prevention. In spite of that most of nurses had high level of knowledge, the majority of study participant didn’t always follow these precautions. the level of application positively correlate with level of knowledge.Keywords:Standard precautions, infection control, knowledge, application, acute injuries
... 10 Öğrenci hemşirelerin, standart önlemlere uyumunun değerlendirildiği çalışmalarda ise uyum durumunun %59,8-79,9 arasında olduğu görülmüştür. [11][12][13][14] Ülkemizde hemşirelik öğrencilerinin standart önlemlere uyumunu spesifik ölçme araçları ile değerlendiren çalışmaya rastlanılmamıştır. Bu çalışma, Standart Önlemlere Uyumu Etkileyen Faktörler Ölçeği Öğrenci Versiyonu'nun Türkçe geçerlik ve güvenirliğinin değerlendirilmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. ...
... It has been estimated that one out of 20 hospitalized patients will encounter healthcare-associated infections; such risk is substantial for patients and healthcare providers, including medical students 5 . Results from previous research in Middle Eastern countries showed a need for more knowledge among healthcare professional students about infection prevention and control [6][7][8] . ...
Knowledge and awareness of infection prevention and control measures among medical students must be adequate and optimum. We evaluate medical students' understanding, knowledge, and attitude toward infection prevention and control. This cross-sectional study targets medical students at the College of Medicine, Oman. An adapted questionnaire was used to measure students' characteristics, concepts of infection prevention and control, hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette, personal protective equipment, sharp instrument injuries and care of health care providers. The questionnaire explored the attitude and practice of infection prevention and control among medical students. A total of 628 medical students were included in the study. The majority were females (90.8%). A knowledge score on infection prevention and control was 61.83%. The hand hygiene knowledge score was higher (70.15%) than the general concept. The personal protective equipment knowledge score was 61.7%. Sharp injuries knowledge score was the lowest compared to other domains (37.74%). Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette knowledge score was highest among all domains (78.05%). Care of health care providers had a lower total score of 50.2%. The knowledge of medical students on infection prevention and control was average. Proper training programs are required to protect medical students and their patients.
Keywords: control; infection; Oman; prevention; students
... The level of compliance with standard precautions was reported to be relatively high in studies conducted with nursing students in China and Jordan. 25,45 A large-scale study including 4439 healthcare professionals at 34 hospitals in France revealed that the compliance of nursing students with standard precautions was higher than that of other working healthcare professionals. 46 The FCV-19S and CAS mean scores of female students in the study were found to be higher than the scores of the male students. ...
Introduction and aim. University students have been demonstrated in the literature to be a group particularly vulnerable to mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between the fear and anxiety levels of nursing students regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and their compliance with standard precautions. Material and methods. The sample consisted of 509 volunteer students. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (CAS) and the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale (CSPS). Results. The FCV-19S, CAS, and CSPS mean scores of the students were respectively 17.49±5.24 1.99±3.54 and 13.46±3.61. There was a moderate correlation (p<0.05) between the FCV-19S and CAS of the students, but no correlation was detected between CSPS and FCV-19S (p>0.05) and CAS (p>0.05). Conclusion. It was determined that students had a moderate fear of COVID-19 and a low level of anxiety over COVID-19. However, fear of COVID-19 and COVID-19 anxiety levels were not correlated with compliance with standard precautions.
... The result indicates that the majority of nurses recorded optimal compliance scores (92.8%) with standard precaution in terms of prevention of cross infection from person to person during the period of COVID-19 pandemic. The result goes in the same line with the performance in South Korea regarding to the compliance with standard precaution (26). The compliance rate is slightly lower as regards to "using only water for hand washing" however it is satisfactory (85.0%). ...
Background:
This study was conducted to assess nurses' compliance with standard precautions during COVID-19 pandemic at emergency departments, Hail city, Saudi Arabia.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in the year 2021, at emergency departments of governmental hospitals in Hail city, Saudi Arabia. A total of 138 emergency nurses were selected using a census sampling method, and included in the current study. Of them, 56(40.6%) were from King Khalid Hospital, 35(25.4%) from King Salman Specialist Hospital, 28(20.3%) from Sharaf Urgent Care Hospital, and 19(13.8%) from Maternity and Child Hospital. The compliance with standard precautions scale was used, and socio-demographic characteristics were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 28.
Results:
A large percentage (71.0%) of the studied nurses were females, and (78.3%) were Saudi. The mean scores of compliances with standard precautions ranged from 3.1 to 3.9 out of 4. The overall compliance rate with all components of standards precautions was optimal (92.75%). Significant statistical differences were found in the mean scores of the "prevention of cross infection from person to person" with age; and between the mean scores of the "decontamination of spills and used article" with profession carrier P-values = 0.013, and 0.016, respectively.
Conclusions:
The compliance with standard precautions by emergency nurses was optimal (more than 90%). The mean compliance scores with the standard precautions could be associated with age and professional category. Continuous training program to enhance compliance with standard precautions among emergency nurses with continuous follow up and evaluation are recommended.
... The apply to all patient care in the hospital (T) 83.9 Standard precautions apply only if the patient has a blood-borne disease (e.g. ...
... This may be due to a lack of in-service training programs which should be conducted periodically to refresh nurses' knowledge. While Rawajfah and Tubaishat, (2015). they assessed " Nursing students' knowledge and practices of standard precautions. ...
... Hemşirelik öğrencilerinin standart önlemler konusundaki bilgi ve uygulamalarının değerlendirildiği bir çalışmada, öğrencilerin çoğunluğunun hastalarına baktıktan sonra ve eldiven kullandıktan sonra ellerini yıkadıklarını bildirmiştir. Aynı çalışmada hemşirelik öğrencilerinin yaklaşık yarısının standart önlemler hakkındaki bilgi düzeyleri iyi olduğu belirtilmiştir (Al-Rawajfah ve Tubaishat, 2015). Çalışmamızda hemşirelik öğrencilerinin iç hastalıkları, cerrahi hastalıkları hemşireliği, enfeksiyon hemşireliği vb. ...
Aim: This study was planned to determine the compliance of student nurses with isolation precautions and the factors affecting them. Methods: The study was conducted with 328 students. Data were collected with Scale Compliance with Isolation Precautions. p
... Additionally, if students are not familiar with infection control techniques, they can become a source of infection (Danzmann et al., 2013). Therefore, the education of students on this subject is extremely important (AL-Rawajfah & Tubaishat, 2015). Erasmus et al. (2020) found that 40% of medical students in their study self-reported noncompliance with hand hygiene. ...
Background:
Hand hygiene adherence is highly important in clinical practice and is influenced by various factors.
Aims:
This study investigated the effect of multimodal intervention on nursing students' adherence to hand hygiene in clinical practice.
Methods:
Internship nursing students were randomized into control (n = 20) and intervention (n = 26) groups. Adherence to hand hygiene was measured by self-report questionnaire and by observation. The intervention group received multimodal interventions for 1 week.
Findings:
Results showed significant effects of multimodal intervention on adherence to hand hygiene in "before contact with the patient," "before and after contact with the patient" situations, and at the beginning of medication administration, catheterization, vital sign measurement, and blood sugar testing.
Conclusion:
The multimodal intervention improved adherence to hand hygiene in the intervention group. Given the importance of hand hygiene adherence by nursing students in all situations, designing and implementing context-based multimodal interventions are recommended as part of nursing students' educational programs.
... 7,8 Catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI) is considered a major challenge for health care providers working in ICUs. 9,10 About 30% of ICU patients acquire health care-associated infections (World Health Organization, 2017). CRBSI represents 89.5% of blood stream infections in ICU patients, 9 and is considered a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and financial burden for patients, hospitals, and insurers. ...
Background
Catheter‐related blood stream infection (CRBSI) is considered a major challenge for health care providers working in intensive care units.
Aim
This study aimed to evaluate and compare the knowledge of evidence‐based guidelines for preventing catheter‐related blood Stream infections among physicians and nurses working in critical care units in Jordan.
Design
A cross‐sectional survey design was utilized.
Methods
The study was conducted in five intensive care units; 181 nurses and 68 physicians were recruited from four governmental hospitals and one university‐affiliated hospital.
Results
The mean total knowledge score for physicians' knowledge was low at 2.6, SD 1.5 (out of 10). While the mean total score for nurses' knowledge was low at 3.3, SD 1.8 (out of 10). The independent t test shows that nurses had a significantly higher mean total knowledge score than physicians (P < .05).
Conclusions
The current study demonstrates that Jordanian nurses and physicians working in intensive care units have a low level of knowledge of the guidelines for preventing CRBSI. This problem should be addressed through routine assessment and evaluation and adoption and policies that make nurses and physicians comply with the evidence‐based guidelines. Finally, conducting regular educational programmes on CRBSI prevention, and evaluation of compliance with the guidelines in daily clinical practice, are strongly recommended.
Relevance to clinical practice
The results of the current study suggest the need for regular assessment of physicians' and nurses' knowledge and skills with regard to central venous catheter insertion and maintenance care. Based on this assessment and using the best available evidence, training programmes on the prevention of CRBSI should be developed. Courses might be online, face to face, or using high fidelity simulation. Finally, regular observation and evaluation of compliance with the CRBSI guidelines in daily clinical practice is needed.
... This is consistent with research by Fashafsheh et al. (18), Hamid et al. (25), and Gijare et al. Similarly, AL Rawajfah et al. (23) noted that there was no significant relationship between performance and having long work experience. However, the relationship between work experience and performance regarding nosocomial infections was significant in Sharif et al.'s study (21). ...
Background: Considering the fundamental role of nursing staff and students in patient care and nosocomial infection control. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of students and nursing staff in nosocomial infection control in Behbahan city in 2019. Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical study. The participants were 217 nursing staff and students of three hospitals in Behbahan who were selected by random sampling. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire that consisted of demographic information and five common nursing procedures. The performance measurement criterion was based on fulfilling or not fulfilling standards. After gathering the data, they were analyzed by statistical tests, including ANOVA and Pearson correlation in SPSS 16 software. Results: The participants were 157 nursing staff and 60 nursing students. In line with the main objective of the study, the results showed that the average performance scores of students (152.9 ± 12.5) and nursing staff (15.5 ± 13.2) were at a good level, and there was no statistically significant difference between the performance of students and nursing staff (P = 0.08). Also, there was no statistically significant difference between the nursing staff of three hospitals (P = 0.76). However, there was a statistically significant difference between the performance scores of staff in different wards (P < 0.001). The CCU and NICU personnel outperformed other wards’ personnel. Conclusions: Based on these findings, it can be concluded that nurses at different levels of education, with different demographic characteristics, and different work environments have a good performance in controlling infections. This is a strong point in the nursing profession.
... A basic clinical competence encountered in the hospital is the application of standard precau-tions (Al-Rawajfah & Tubaishat, 2015), to prevent, protect, and minimize the occurrence of cross-infections among health care workers, including nurses, in direct contact with the body fluids of infected patients (Cheung et al., 2015;Berman, Snyder, Kozier, & Erb, 2016). ...
The learning process in higher nursing education develops student competences, such as applying standard precautions, in providing professional nursing care. To improve student knowledge and compliance related to standard precautions requires innovation from lecturers in providing appropriate learning methods. Peer-assisted learning (PAL) can enhance the active role of students and improve achievement. The PAL method involves senior students as peer teachers who help junior students. Using a questionnaire as an assessment instrument, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of PAL on knowledge and compliance in the application of standard precautions in student nurses. This study design was quasi experimental with pre and post assessment and a control group design approach. This research was conducted at the D Hospital in Padang, Indonesia, a hospital where students practice. This study was conducted in June–September 2017 with a sample size of 45. Data analysis using paired t-test showed that the average values of the level of knowledge and skills of students in the application of standard precautions before and after PAL methods differed significantly in the intervention group (p= 0.001). In conclusion, PAL can be applied in the learning process of nursing students to increase student achievement.
Abstrak
Efektifitas Metode Peer-Assisted Learning terhadap Tingkat Pengetahuan dan Kepatuhan Mahasiswa dalam Penerapan Kewaspadaan Standar. Proses pembelajaran dalam pendidikan tinggi keperawatan mengembangkan kompetensi siswa, seperti menerapkan tindakan pencegahan standar, dalam memberikan asuhan keperawatan profesional. Untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan dan kepatuhan mahasiswa terkait kewaspadaan standar, dibutuhkan inovasi dari dosen dalam memberikan metode pembelajaran yang tepat. Peer-assisted learning (PAL) dapat mening-katkan peran aktif siswa dan meningkatkan prestasi. Metode PAL melibatkan mahasiswa senior sebagai peer-teacher yang membantu mahasiswa junior. Menggunakan kuesioner sebagai instrumen penilaian, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan efektivitas PAL pada pengetahuan dan kepatuhan dalam penerapan kewaspadaan standar pada maha-siswa keperawatan. Desain penelitian ini adalah quasi experiment dengan penilaian pre dan post dan pendekatan control group design. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Rumah Sakit D di Padang, Indonesia, sebuah rumah sakit tempat praktik mahasiswa. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada Juni–September 2017 dengan sampel 45. Analisis data menggunakan paired t-test menunjukkan bahwa nilai rerata tingkat pengetahuan dan keterampilan mahasiswa dalam penerapan kewaspadaan standar sebelum dan sesudah metode PAL berbeda secara signifikan pada kelompok intervensi (p= 0,001). Kesimpulan-nya, PAL dapat diterapkan dalam proses belajar siswa keperawatan untuk meningkatkan prestasi siswa.
Kata kunci: kewaspadaan standar, mahasiswa keperawatan, peer-assisted learning
... 7,8 Catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI) is considered a major challenge for health care providers working in ICUs. 9,10 About 30% of ICU patients acquire health care-associated infections (World Health Organization, 2017). CRBSI represents 89.5% of blood stream infections in ICU patients, 9 and is considered a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and financial burden for patients, hospitals, and insurers. ...
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for preventing Catheter Related Blood Stream Infections among physicians and nurses working in critical care units in Jordan.
Background: Catheter-related blood stream infection is considered a major challenge for healthcare providers working in intensive care units.
Design: A cross-sectional survey design was utilized
Methods: The study was conducted in five intensive care units; 181 nurses and 68 physicians were recruited from four governmental hospitals and one university affiliated hospital. Results: The mean total knowledge score for physicians’ knowledge was low at 2.6, SD1.5 (out of 10). While the mean total score for nurses’ knowledge was low at 3.3, SD1.8 (out of 10). The independent t-test show that nurses had a significantly higher mean total knowledge score than physicians (p<.05).
Conclusions: The current study demonstrates that Jordanian nurses and physicians working in intensive care units have a low level of knowledge of the guidelines for preventing catheter-related blood stream infection. This problem should be addressed through routine assessment and evaluation and adoption and policies that make nurses and physicians comply with the evidence-based guidelines. Finally, conducting regular educational programmes on Catheter-related blood stream infection prevention, and evaluation of compliance with the guidelines in daily clinical practice, are strongly recommended.
Relevance to clinical practice
The results of the current study suggest the need for regular assessment of physicians’ and nurses’ knowledge and skills with regard to CVC insertion and maintenance care. Based on this assessment and using the best available evidence, training programmes on the prevention of CRBSI should be developed. Courses might be online, face to face or using high fidelity simulation. Finally, regular observation and evaluation of compliance with the CRBSI guidelines in daily clinical practice is needed.
... The annual cost of HAI is estimated to be Thus, standard precautions are recommended to prevent the onset of HAIs. Standard precautions including hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (e.g., masks, gloves, glasses to prevent contact with infectious substances) have been developed to protect the healthcare professional and prevent the transmission of infection in hospitals (9). ...
Background & Aim: Adherence of nurses to hand hygiene is important for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. This study aims to systematically review the existing studies that assess Iranian nurses' adherence to hand hygiene and estimate their amount with meta-analysis.
Methods & Materials: We performed a systematic search for peer-reviewed journals published from 2005 to 2018. The systematic search was conducted using both international (Google Scholar, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Sciences) and Iranian databases (Scientific Information Database, IranMedex, Magiran, and MedLib). The search was carried out using a combination of the following terms: “adherence”, “compliance”, “hand hygiene”, “nurse”, “Iran”, “nursing practice”, “nursing”, and “guidelines”. The combinations of these words with Boolean operators like ‘AND’, ‘OR’ and ‘NOT’ were used.
Results: A total of 22 articles were used in the final analyses. The pooled proportion of hand hygiene adherence was 40.5 percent [95% confidence interval [CI]: 31.1–49.8]. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that the overall estimated pooled proportion of hand hygiene adherence did not vary significantly with the elimination of any of the 22 studies, observer or self-reported hand hygiene, instrument of measurement, unit of measurements, sample size, and time.
Conclusion: The level of adherence of Iranian nurses to hand hygiene can potentially increase the chance of healthcare-associated infections and put patients and nurses at risk. Hospital and nursing managers should take practical steps to investigate factors contributing to the failure of hand hygiene adherence among nursing staff. They should ensure the continuous implementation of hand hygiene improvement strategy.
... This conclusion is well supported by a Jordanian study that used a web-based survey to investigate nursing students' knowledge and practice related to standard precaution (N = 594). The study found weakness in knowledge and practice related to infection control guidelines among Jordanian nursing students and recommended nursing educators to introduce advanced and multiple teaching modalities to enhance students' learning (Al-Rawajfah & Tubaishat, 2015). In line with this, one study (Al-Hussami & Darawad, 2013), reported that nursing students conveyed their feeling of dissatisfaction with the content of their infection control courses (Al-Hussami & Darawad, 2013). ...
Aim:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the compliance of Jordanian nurses with ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention guidelines and the barriers to compliance.
Method:
A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 294 nurses from nine hospitals in Jordan completed a self-reported questionnaire.
Results:
According to the study compliance categories, 45.6% of the participants reported 'insufficient compliance,' 24.8% 'weak compliance' and 29.6% 'sufficient compliance.' Nurses with more experience and previous education on ventilator-associated pneumonia reported higher compliance scores than their counterparts with less experience and no previous education. Nurses reported several barriers that limited their own compliance, such as lack of education, lack of policies and protocols, lack of resources and the shortage of staff.
Conclusion:
The compliance of nursing staff with the prevention guidelines was poor. Applying tailored educational programs may help improve their level of compliance. These programs must target new graduate nurses and be conducted in those hospitals with limited resources.
... 29 education in a variety of ways that incorporate not only traditional education but also informatics. 30 Experience in surgical practicum training was another factor that affected compliance rate. This finding is likely because students' direct and indirect experiences or training in the ward during the practicum had a substantial impact on their practices, which may be attributed to the importance of aseptic techniques in the surgical ward. ...
Adhering to standard precautions is a key factor in reducing the risk of infection among nurses and nursing students. This study identified nursing students’ compliance with standard precautions and the factors associated with their compliance. This descriptive survey included 176 nursing students from a regional nursing college. Compliance with standard precautions was assessed using a 20-item questionnaire. Data were analysed using t-tests, a one-way analysis of variance, and a multiple regression analysis. Participants’ overall compliance rate was 50.5%. Concerning general characteristics, significant differences were found regarding needle-stick or sharps injuries, practicum department (surgical and paediatric), and type of contact (faeces). Needle-stick or sharps injury experience (β = -0.225) and surgery practicum department (β = 0.182; Adj R² = 0.063; p = 0.001) had a significant effect on compliance level. Standard precautions should be emphasized in the nursing curricula, along with systematic continuing education. Educational programs for needle-stick or sharps injury prevention should also be included in standard precautions curricula.
... training, failing to use the container for used needles and sharps, or the immediate disposal of needles and syringes. Paradoxically, students claimed to have a high level of awareness (85%À96%) of universal security measures(Al-rawajfah & Tubaishat, 2015;Merino-de la Hoz et al., 2010;Spence, Goodwin, Enns, & Dean, 2011;Westphal, Lancaster, & Park, 2014). ...
Background:
The abundant knowledge on nursing students' competencies in clinical safety, and the multiple approaches adopted make it difficult to obtain an overview of the current status of this question.
Purpose:
To review the literature on undergraduate nursing students' safety competencies during their clinical placements.
Method:
A scoping review was carried out. Searches were executed in PubMed, CINAHL, WOS, MEDES, and websites of relevant organizations. The framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute was adopted.
Findings:
A total of 43 studies were selected for the final sample. The review identified four major topics: the presence of adverse events in clinical placements, the acquisition of competencies in clinical safety, student experiences regarding clinical safety, and pedagogical approaches for clinical safety.
Discussion:
Nursing students encounter adverse events and clinical safety incidents throughout their clinical training. Faculties should assign the highest priority to this question, due to its importance in the creation of a culture of safety.
... It had also been shown that healthcare providers with low knowledge about the prevention of central venous catheter-related infection have low adherence to the standard guidelines of central venous catheter care (Alkubati et al., 2015). The results of a web-based survey suggested a weak relationship between nurses' knowledge and practice of SP (OM and Tubaishat, 2015). Education is expected to increase knowledge, which in turn informs changes in practice. ...
Background:
The standard precautions (SPs) should be disseminated and implemented by healthcare providers. This study aimed to examine the effects of a multi-component educational intervention on nurses' knowledge and adherence to the SP guidelines in intensive care units (ICUs).
Methods:
This small-scale study consisted of a cluster randomised trial. Two ICUs, located in different hospitals, participated in the study. Nurses (n = 15) in one ICU received the multi-component educational intervention. The intervention involved an educational (with multiple instructional media) and a behavioural (with hands-on practice) component. Nurses' knowledge and adherence were assessed at pre-test and two and six weeks after the intervention.
Results:
Results showed significant group by time interaction effects for both outcomes: a large improvement was found in the experimental group over time, but not in the control group. The experimental nurses' knowledge improved from 15 ± 2.47 at pre-test to 19 ± 2.65 and 19.53 ± 0.92 at follow-ups. Similarly, their adherence increased from 19.87 ± 4.44 at pre-test to 29.20 ± 5.00 and 28.40 ± 4.37 at two and six weeks post-test, respectively.
Conclusions:
The multi-component educational interventions had demonstrated initial effectiveness in enhancing ICU nurses' knowledge and adherence to the SPs guidelines. The intervention is a promising approach for designing effective continuing education initiatives aimed to improve nurses' practice.
Background: Hospital-acquired infection (HAI) is one of the most frequent issues that hospitals are facing in every country worldwide. Since nurses are an essential part of the medical workforce that they play a special role in preventing the transmission of infections within hospitals. Objectives: to assess levels of nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding standard precautions. Find out the relationship between knowledge level and practice level. Methodology: 400 nurses from eight hospitals in Babil governorate are included in this cross-sectional study. To assess the knowledge and practice levels, an interview questionnaire was used. SPSS-27 was used for analyzing the data that was collected between September 2022 and March 2023. Results: The main results revealed that 56.3% of nurses had a high level of knowledge on standard precautions. While 51.5%of nurses had poor practice regarding standard precautions. A significant positive relationship between nurses' level of practice and their level of knowledge was also identified. Conclusion: Despite the fact that the majority of study participants had a high level of knowledge, the majority did not always practice these precautions. In addition, the level of practice correlates positively with level of knowledge.
https://www.journal.uokufa.edu.iq/index.php/kjns/article/view/12390
Objective: Colistin susceptibility tests become more importance because of the need for colistin use increases especially treatment of the multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. In addition, biofilm formation by microorganisms is an important cause of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the colistin susceptibility by broth microdilution (BMD) method, biofilm formation, and
antibiotic resistance profiles in the Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) strains.
Materials and Methods: Fifty A. baumanni strains which were isolated from clinical specimen were included. Identification of the isolates were studied with the BD Phoenix100 automated system by using the Phoenix NMIC-400/ID panels. The antimicrobial susceptibility test for the colistin were studied by the Mueller-Hinton BMD method according to EUCAST. The biofilm production were investigated using Congo Red Agar. Results: Of the 50 isolates, colistin resistance by BMD method was found 2% (n:1). The rates of biofilm formation and MDR were %92 (46/50) and %76 (38/50), respectively. It was determined that the biofilm formation rate increased in parallel with the age of the patients (p=0.008). Moreover, MDR positive strains were found to produce biofilms more frequently than negatives (p=0.038). Conclusion: Unfortunately, our study is the first report for the colistin resistance in Northern Cyprus. Biofilm formation of A. baumannii strains examined in our study were found to be high. Therefore, we think that the application of correct diagnostic methods, full sterilization/disinfection procedures, and rational use of antibiotics may affect the morbidity and mortality rates, as they will prevent the development of MDR microorganisms.
Introduction: Learning about nosocomial infections is an essential component for improving measures against these infections and for developing effective preventive and curative strategies. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of knowledge of nursing students at the Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques of Agadir. Method: This is a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire for students in the care sector. Results: One hundred fifty-nine students participated in this study. The average general knowledge score was 3.42 ± 1.50. The mean knowledge of practices and attitudes score was 11.50 ± 3.42. The total mean score was 14.92 ± 5.007. We found that the total score was better in students trained in nosocomial infections (P<0.05). The versatile nurse option recorded the best knowledge scores compared to the other options. The definition of nosocomial infection and its mode of transmission of germs by the hands not identified by more than half of the students. Bacteria were the most cited microbial agent in relation to nosocomial infections. The regulatory aspect of nosocomial infection has been overlooked by most students. Managing feces and preventing blood exposure accidents are the most overlooked standard precautions. Conclusion: A low level of knowledge of nosocomial infections was observed. Similarly, we should note a difference in the knowledge score between the trained and untrained groups. In conclusion, we propose a teaching of generalization of nosocomial infection for nursing training at the Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques of Agadir.
Introduction
: Standard precautions (SP) help to combat healthcare-associated infections. It is of paramount importance that they be taught during nursing studies. The objective of this review of the literature was to determine the level of knowledge and practice of SP and hand hygiene (HH) of nursing students (NSs) and to identify the different pedagogical hygiene techniques applied in nursing training.
Methods
: A review of the relevant literature was carried out according to the PRISMA method between January 2010 and April 2021.
Results
: Eighty-one articles were selected: 36 studies were dedicated to NSs’ knowledge, 43 to the SP practice of NSs, and 21 to hygiene teaching techniques in nursing training. While NSs knowledge of HH was found to be moderate, their knowledge of SP was moderate or good. Alcohol-based hand rub were little known. SP practice and compliance with SP and HH was moderate. The hygiene training programs set up in view of improving knowledge and practices have applied diversified pedagogical techniques. Multimodal approaches have proposed different associations of pedagogical techniques. As of now, no single teaching methods has been found clearly superior to the others.
Conclusion
: Enhanced training for nurses by means of new technologies and a combination of different approaches is indispensable in view of improving their levels of knowledge and practice.
Background
The total cost and negative health associated with nosocomial infection are high and early interventions are required. Assessing students' knowledge about nosocomial infection may contribute to solving this issue.
Aims
The present study aimed to assess the level of knowledge of nosocomial infection among student nurses and to identify their main sources of information on the topic.
Methods
A total of 330 student nurses at Sultan Qaboos University completed the online survey, which included participants' demographics and the Infection Control Standardized Questionnaire (ICSQ).
Findings
The results of the study reveal the average total corrected score of the participants was 51.53 (SD=0.89) out of 100, with a minimum score of 16 and a maximum score of 96. Female students had a higher average score (13.9, SD=4.34) than male students (11.6, SD=3.2); t(328)=5.35.
Conclusion
The student nurses did not have a sufficient level of knowledge about nosocomial infection. This calls for a review of nursing curricula to pave the way for more pragmatic teaching of infection control.
Background
Undergraduate education of Health Care Workers is pivotal to ensuring that frontline clinicians have appropriate knowledge and skills in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).
Objectives
The aim of this study was to describe undergraduate nursing students’ self-reported compliance with Standard Precautions and to explore the psychosocial factors that influence adherence in clinical practice.
Design
A cross-sectional survey design was used.
Setting
The study was conducted in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at an Australian University.
Participants
All undergraduate nursing students were invited to participate in an online survey; 321 participated, mean age 25.7 years (SD = 8.4). The majority, 196 (61%), had no healthcare work experience, 54 (17%) were patient-care assistants, 40 (13%) enrolled nurses, and 31 (9%) were nurses registered overseas.
Methods
Two validated instruments were used: the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale (CSPS) and the Factors Influencing Adherence to Standard Precautions Scale– Student version (FIASPS-SV). Linear regression was used to measure the impact of psychosocial factors on self-reported compliance.
Results
Overall self-reported compliance with prevention of cross-infection was 83%, use of Personal Protective Equipment (81%), correct disposal of sharps (83%) and general waste (75%), and equipment decontamination (69%). The predominant factors endorsed on the FIASPS-SV were ‘Leadership’ (M = 15.21 SD = 5.28) and ‘Contextual cues’ (M = 19.09 SD = 6.37). Multivariate linear regression demonstrated that after adjusting for age, gender and years of nursing study, the Leadership factor predicted participants’ self-reported compliance on the ‘prevention of cross-infection’ (p < .001), ‘use of PPE (p < .001), ‘waste disposal’ (p = .021), and ‘decontamination of equipment’ (p < .001) sub-domains of the CSPS.
Conclusions
These findings highlight that strong clinical leadership and role modelling are essential to ensure all healthcare students prioritise rigorous adherence with infection prevention and control guidelines.
Aim
The aim of this study was to assess compliance with standard precautions by Saudi nursing interns who were undergoing their internship training in four governmental tertiary teaching hospitals in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to determine factors predictive of this.
Background
Cross‐transmission and infection prevention when delivering care must be strictly followed by nursing interns by complying with standard precautions during internship training.
Design
The study employed a descriptive‐correlational and cross‐sectional design.
Methods
A total of 224 nursing interns participated in the study by completing the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale Arabic version between March 2017 and June 2017.
Results/Findings
A high overall compliance rate (84.8%) was observed. Nursing interns reported the highest compliance score in changing gloves between each patient contact and the lowest score in disposing of sharps boxes only when full. Nursing interns in hospital D showed the highest compliance rate over those in other hospitals. Age, sex, marital status, months in internship training and attendance of nursing interns in infection control seminars/trainings influenced their standard precautions compliance.
Conclusion
The study revealed good compliance by nursing interns with standard precautions. However, regular educational and clinical interventions are still needed to improve some areas and to ensure the continuity of high levels of compliance in other areas of standard precautions among nursing interns.
Developing nursing students' knowledge and practice of infection prevention and control (IPC) is fundamental to safe healthcare. A two-phase descriptive, mixed-method study conducted within a Bachelor of Nursing program at an Australian university aimed to explore: (i) theoretical knowledge of IPC, highlighting hand hygiene, of nursing students and; (ii) nursing students' and clinical facilitators' perceptions of factors influencing these practices during clinical placement. Phase One utilised an anonymous validated questionnaire assessing students' knowledge; identifying variables influencing students' IPC practices, subjected to descriptive and inferential analysis. Phase Two were semi-structured interviews exploring clinical facilitators' experiences/perceptions of students during clinical placement, analysed thematically. Students' demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of IPC in their second and third year, but clinical facilitators perceived that. students lacked awareness of the importance of these practices. Five themes arose from the interviews: (i) understanding workplace culture; (ii) students' modelling local behaviour; (iii) enhancing and consolidating knowledge for practice; (iv) adjusting to practice reality and; (v) accessing additional hand hygiene resources. Factors specific to workplace setting and culture were perceived to influence nursing students' socialisation. Future practice/education strategies could address these factors by ensuring students receive adequate supervision during clinical placement, and having strong advocates/role models present in the workplace.
Background:
Knowledge of and compliance with universal isolation precautions are important issues and were found to be low in many previous studies. However, there were no Jordanian studies that have examined the effect of an infection control teaching course on nursing students' knowledge of and compliance with universal precautions.
Purpose:
This study aimed to assess knowledge and compliance levels, assess the relationships between knowledge and compliance, and examine the effect of infection control teaching courses on knowledge of and compliance with universal precautions among university nursing students.
Methods:
A quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design using a convenient sample of 130 third-year nursing students was applied. The experimental group (n = 60) were third-year nursing students who registered for infection control clinical course for 3 months. On the other side, the control group (n = 70) were students at the same academic level but did not register for the course and never attended the course.
Results:
The mean knowledge of and compliance with universal precaution were quite low, with a mean (SD) of 7.82 (1.98) and 49.36 (11.13) respectively. There was a statistically significant weak positive correlation between knowledge of and compliance with standard precaution (r = 0.28, P = .003). An independent t test indicated a significant effect of the infection control clinical course (t119 = -5.36, P = .01) on knowledge mean score (mean [SD], 15.51 [1.41]) and compliance with universal precaution mean score (mean [SD], 89.00 [10.17]; t119 = 6.26, P = .02) compared to the control group. Paired t test revealed that knowledge and compliance were significantly higher in the posttest than in the pretest in the experimental group compared with the control group.
Conclusion:
Knowledge of and compliance with universal precautions were relatively low among nursing students. The application of an infection control teaching course helps improve both knowledge of and compliance with universal precautions among university nursing students.
Introduction: Occupational exposure with polluted sharp equipment usually occurs during procedures such as transfusion of blood and blood products, blood sampling, disposal of needles, and collection of polluted sharp materials. Considering the fact that students have less work experience and lower practical skills, they are more vulnerable to work-related infections. The present study was conducted to determine and compare the awareness of nursing, midwifery, and surgical technology students about occupational exposure management.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 221 students of nursing, midwifery, and surgical technology selected using the stratified random sampling in 2016. Data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire including the students' demographic characteristics and awareness about occupational exposure management. Data were analyzed by SPSS18 using descriptive and analytical statistical tests.
Results: Our findings showed that the mean scores of awareness about occupational exposure management were not significantly different among the nursing, midwifery, and surgical technology students (p value = 0.435). We observed that the students' age and educational level were significantly correlated with their scores of awareness about occupational exposure management (p value < 0.001).
Conclusions: Results of the present study indicated poor awareness of the students about in-time management of occupational exposure. Measures such as educational workshops on preventive aspects in occupational exposure, observance of safety principles and comprehensive standards for accurate measurement of viral markers should be taken. Individual health profiles should be designed for each student to improve the occupational exposure management.
Standard Precautions" (SP) is important for nursing students as it will lead to the protection of health professionals from infectious diseases and prevention of the wide spread of epidemic illnesses. Therefore, this study investigated factors influencing nursing students' attitudes toward SP. Data were collected from 291 nursing students from May to June, in 2016. According to the results, perceived benefit (4.26) was the highest among sub factors of the health belief model, test score of SP was 78.8%, and attitude score (4 point scale) was 3.63. Perceived sensitivity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, knowledge about SP showed significant correlations with the attitudes towards SP. Among sub-factors of the health beliefs, perceived sensitivity (β=.152, p<.05) and perceived barrier (β=-.125, p<.05) were found to influence nursing students' attitudes toward SP (F= 5.680, p<.001). Hence, it can be concluded that a convergence education program promoting health belief is needed for improving attitudes toward SP among nursing students.
Student nurses are often exposed to various infections during their clinical exposure. Knowledge and compliance with standard precautions is essential in the prevention of health care infections and protection of patients as well as medical workers from exposure to infectious agents. This investigation assessed the knowledge and degree of compliance regarding standard precautions among student nurses in a government university in Samar, Philippines. A cross-sectional study was adopted for this investigation and data were collected over a period of one month from April 8 to May 7, 2012. Fifty eight student nurses who were enrolled in the university were all asked to complete the self report questionnaires regarding standard precautions. Vast majority (89.65%) of the student nurses have good knowledge (m = 14.45/19) and high compliance (m = 3.59) of standard precautions. The use of mask has the highest degree of compliance (m = 3.95) while the use of eye goggles has the lowest degree of compliance (m = 3.19). Findings suggest no significant association between knowledge and compliance with standard precautions. Teaching approaches must be geared towards intensifying further the compliances especially with the use of other protective equipments such eye goggles and gloves. Furthermore, environment that models and promotes standard precaution practices should be developed by the faculty.
In recent year, national bodies have been actively addressing the increasing concern on the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The current study measures the knowledge, intentions and beliefs of third-year Australian nursing students on key infection prevention and control (IPC) concepts.
A cross-sectional study of final-year undergraduate nursing students from Schools of Nursing at six Australian universities was undertaken. Students were asked to participate in an anonymous survey. The survey explored knowledge of standard precautions and transmission based precautions. In addition intentions and beliefs towards IPC were explored.
349 students from six universities completed the study. 59.8% (95% CI 58.8-60.8%) of questions were answered correctly. Significantly more standard precaution questions were correctly answered than transmission-based precaution questions (p < 0.001). No association was found between self-reported compliance with IPC activities and gender or age. Certain infection control issues were correlated with the percentage of correctly answered transmission-based precaution questions. The participants were most likely to seek infection control information from an infection control professional.
Knowledge on transmission-based precautions was substandard. As transmission-based precautions are the foundation of IPC for serious organisms and infections, education institutions should reflect on the content and style of educational delivery on this topic.
Background:
The microbiology component of Australian undergraduate nursing programmes varies considerably. Any actual or potential impact of this variation on infection control practice, as a nursing graduate, is relatively unknown.
Aims:
The aim of this study was to explore infection control professionals' perceptions of the importance of microbiology and infection control training in undergraduate nursing curricula and the perceived retention of that knowledge and its transferability to practice.
Method:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight infection control professionals from a range of hospital settings in Australia.
Findings:
Four main themes emerged: Theory versus practice, importance of role modelling, disjunction between university curricula and 'the real world,' and learning in context.
Conclusion:
As the underpinning element of infection control practice, the role of microbiology education and training in nursing education will benefit from review. Further discussions about the nature and timing of theoretical microbiology content and assessment of undergraduate students' microbiology knowledge to ensure retention and appropriate application of that knowledge in practice are urgently needed.
Attitudes toward technology may impact the levels of technology acceptance and training willingness among nursing students. Nurse acceptance and effective utilization of technology are critical to improving patient care and safety.
The aims of this cross-sectional study were to measurethe attitude of nursing students toward technology and to determine if demographic characteristics affect their attitudinal measures. Furthermore, the amount of formal education provided on the use of technology applications is explored.
A convenience sample of nursing students attending a public university in Jordan was recruited, and a technology attitude scale designed to measure the attitude of nursing students toward technology was used. Scales designed to gather data on participant demographics, self-reported technology skills, and level of formal technology education were also used.
The results showed that participants held a positive attitude toward technology. Students who reported a high level of technology skill had the most positive attitude toward technology. The impact years of formal education on the use of technology applications were low, whereas academic level had a significant impact on technology attitudes. Senior student participants had the highest level of technology education, likely because of their exposure to relatively more educational opportunities, and the most positive attitude toward technology.
Despite the positive attitude of nursing students toward technology, the problem of minimal technology education should be addressed in future nursing programs to further enhance positive attitudes toward technology.
The learning environment extends beyond the classroom, in a way, necessitating integration of computer literacy with education, establishing e-learning culture within future nursing education and facilitating life-long learning, which goes hand in hand with reshaping the future of the nursing practice. Despite the rapid integration between computers and different health care issues, studies indicated that nursing students have extremely low levels of computer literacy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the anxiety-related computer literacy rates of a few nursing students in Jordan. A convenient sample of 441 undergraduate nursing students was selected. A descriptive study utilised a self-administered questionnaire of the Arabic version of the Computer Anxiety Rating Scale and Computer Literacy Scale Data between 20 May and 30 July 2009. Study results indicated that there was a significantly negative relationship between computer anxieties and computer literacy rates. This implies the need for frequent use of computers in various educational and training activities. Frequent use of the computer would reduce computer anxiety and thus enhance computer literacy rates.
This study aims to explore nursing students' knowledge of infection control and investigate how university education and clinical experience influence their infection control practice.
In order to prevent and control healthcare associated infections all healthcare staff must be knowledgeable about infection control. However, knowledge and practice of infection control are often sub-optimal. Education has had variable results in improving the infection control knowledge of healthcare professionals yet, there have been few studies examining this issue in relation to pre-registration nursing students in the United Kingdom.
This descriptive cross-sectional survey employed a questionnaire composed of predominantly closed questions for data collection. A non-probability, purposive sample of 354/444 (79.7%) nursing students from one university participated in the study.
Knowledge was generally adequate in questions related to pathogen transmission, hand hygiene principles, glove use, immediate action following sharps' injuries, and risk reduction in relation to sharps and waste management. Topics that received less positive results related to the chain of infection, the use of alcohol gel and Clostridium difficile and the definition of inoculation injury. University education was the main influence on knowledge and practice (340/353, 96.3%), but mentors (322/354, 91.2%), nurses (316/353, 89.3%), doctors (175/353, 49.4%) and other members of the multi-disciplinary team (213/352, 60.2%) were also deemed influential. Workload, time, and availability of facilities and equipment also contributed to the adoption of infection control precautions. The findings illustrated the importance of both theoretical and practical knowledge, supported by competent role models.
The study identified the complexities of knowledge acquisition and application in a practice based discipline. The support of a competent role model to assist in applying theory to practice is vital. The study has identified that there are many variables that affect IPC practice, both positively and negatively.
This national study aims to evaluate compliance of Jordanian staff nurses with infection control guidelines.
Cross-sectional, descriptive design was used. Proportional-multistage, probability sampling was used to obtain a sample of 10% of all staff nurses working in Jordanian hospitals. Standardized self-reported instruments were used to evaluate the compliance.
The total sample consisted of 22 hospitals, of which 8 were governmental, 7 military, 5 private, and 2 university-affiliated hospitals. Of the total 889 participating nurses, 52.6% were females, 81.9% holding a bachelor degree. The mean age was 29.0 years (standard deviation [SD] = 5.9) with a mean of experience of 6.9 years (SD = 5.8). According to the scale categories, 65.0% of participants demonstrated "high compliance," 32.3% "weak compliance," and 2.7% "unsafe compliance." Nurses who received infection control training in the hospital demonstrated higher compliance (mean = 120.2, SD = 13.6); than those who never received such training (mean = 115.8, SD = 15.2), P < .001. Nurses who work in university affiliated hospitals demonstrated higher compliance than other types of hospital (P < .001).
This study provides information about infection control practices in various health care sectors in Jordan. Results from this study expected to guide efforts to develop educational tools, programs, and curricula to improve infection control practices in Jordan.
Student nurses are often exposed to various infections during their clinical education. Knowledge and compliance with standard precautions is essential to prevent hospital associated infections and protect patients as well as medical workers from exposure to infectious agents. This study assessed the knowledge and degree of compliance regarding standard precautions among student nurses in a government university in Samar, Philippines. A cross-sectional study was adopted for this investigation and data were collected over a period of one month from April 8 to May 7, 2012. Fifty eight student nurses who were enrolled in the university were asked to complete the self report questionnaires regarding standard precautions. Vast majority (89.7%) of the student nurses have good knowledge (students are satisfactorily well versed with the concepts of standard precautions) (m = 14.45/19) and high compliance (m = 3.59) of standard precautions. The use of mask has the highest degree of compliance (m = 3.95) while the use of eye goggles has the lowest degree of compliance (m = 3.19). Findings suggest no significant association between knowledge and compliance with standard precautions. Teaching approaches must be geared towards intensifying further the compliances especially with the use of other protective equipments such eye goggles and gloves. Furthermore, environment that models and promotes standard precaution practices should be developed by the faculty.
Due to different biomechanical, nutritional, and hormonal considerations, it is possible that chiropractors may employ different therapeutic interventions and recommendations for pregnant patients than non-pregnant ones. The objective of this study was to determine the therapeutic interventions that chiropractors who are members of the Ontario Chiropractic Association in the Greater Toronto Area most commonly provide to pregnant patients.
An introductory e-mail was sent in October 2011 to 755 members of the Ontario Chiropractic Association within the Greater Toronto Area five days prior to a 15 question survey being distributed via e-mail. Reminder e-mails were sent 13 days and 27 days later. Using descriptive statistics, demographic information was reported along with reported use of different treatments and recommendations for pregnant patients.
A response rate of 23% was obtained. The majority of the respondents (90%) reported using the Diversified technique on pregnant patients, followed by soft tissue therapy (62%) and Activator (42%). The most common adjunctive therapy recommended to pregnant patients was referral to massage therapy (90%). Most of the respondents (92%) indicated that they prescribe stretching exercises to pregnant patients and recommend a multivitamin (84%) or folic acid (81%) to pregnant patients.
In agreement with previous research on chiropractic technique usage on non-pregnant patients, the majority of respondents indicated treating pregnant patients with the Diversified technique, with other chiropractic techniques being utilized at varying rates on pregnant patients. Most respondents indicated prescribing exercise, and making adjunctive and nutritional recommendations frequently for their pregnant patients.
Staff in the hospital itself may be the source of a nosocomial outbreak (NO). But the role of undetected carriers as an outbreak source is yet unknown.
A systematic review was conducted to evaluate outbreaks caused by health care workers (HCW). The Worldwide Outbreak Database and PubMed served as primary sources of data. Articles in English, German or French were included. Other reviews were excluded. There were no restrictions with respect to the date of publication.
Data on setting, pathogens, route of transmission, and characteristics of the HCW was retrieved. Data from large outbreaks were compared to smaller outbreaks.
152 outbreaks were included, mainly from surgery, neonatology, and gynecology departments. Most frequent corresponding infections were surgical site infections, infection by hepatitis B virus, and septicemia. Hepatitis B virus (27 NO), S. aureus (49 NO) and S. pyogenes (19 NO) were the predominant pathogens involved. 59 outbreaks (41.5%) derived from physicians and 56 outbreaks (39.4%) derived from nurses. Transmission mainly occurred via direct contact. Surgical and pediatric departments were significantly associated with smaller outbreaks, and gynecology with larger outbreaks. Awareness of carrier status significantly decreased the risk of causing large outbreaks.
As NO caused by HCW represent a rare event, screening of personnel should not be performed regularly. However, if certain species of microorganisms are involved, the possibility of a carrier should be taken into account.
Online data collection in academic research might be replacing paper-and-pencil surveys or questionnaires in the near future. This paper discusses the advantages and limitations of online data collection, with particular reference to the conduct of two qualitative studies involving upper secondary school teachers and students in Iceland in 2002. Email was used for contacting the participants to ask them to visit a designated website in order to complete the questionnaire. Some problems arose with the use of an online web-based programme for data collection. Among them were the unreliability of the email address lists and the lack of willingness, particularly among students, to participate. The paper concludes that while online surveys can access large and geographically distributed populations and achieve quick returns, they may no longer be as universally appealing as was once believed. Reaching the population sample remains a problem in online as well as in traditional data collection.
Using Internet polling to classify characteristics of a burn wound dressing considered as "ideal" by burn care specialists for small sized burns (<20% TBSA).
Open, voluntary Internet-based cross-sectional survey with twenty non-compulsory questions and collection of information related to profession, staff grade, work location.
In total one-hundred and twenty-one participants from 39 countries were included (response rate: 121/1000=12.1%) within the one month survey period (1-31st December 2011). The majority of respondents were surgeons (72.1%; 88/121), and most participants were from Europe 59.4% (72/121). According to the survey the following are the properties of an "ideal" burn wound dressing: non-adhesion ("essential": 55/120, 45.8%; "desirable": 50/120, 41.7%), absorbency ("essential": 41/120, 34.2%; "desirable": 64/120, 53.3%) and antimicrobial activity ("essential": 52/121, 43.0%; "desirable": 49/121, 40.5%). In addition, ease of removal, which would produce more pain-free dressing changes, was also considered to be an asset - ideally requiring dressing changes twice per week with a range of different dressing sizes available. As polled directly, most of the respondents thought that such a dressing was currently not available.
This Internet-based survey provides a first insight into a 'wish list' of properties for burn wound dressings required by specialists in burn care from around the world. As with any kind of idealism, to date, no such burn wound dressing seems to be available in clinical practice according to the poll. Future scientific efforts need to focus on designing materials, which feature at least some of the properties revealed by this analysis.
Nurses are exposed to the changing demands in technology as they execute their patient-related duties in the workplace. Integration of Information Technology (IT) in healthcare systems improves the quality of care provided. Nursing students with prior exposure to computers tend to have a positive influence IT.
A descriptive study design using a quantitative approach and structured questionnaire was used to measure the nurses' attitudes towards computer usage. A census of 45 post-basic first year nursing management students were participated in this study.
The students demonstrated a positive attitude towards the use of a computer. But access to and use of a computer and IT was limited and nurses in clinics had no access to IT. A lack of computer skills was identified as a factor that hinders access to IT.
Nursing students agreed that computer literacy should be included in the curriculum to allow them to become independent computer users. The Department of Health should have IT in all health-care facilities and also train all health-care workers to use IT. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSE MANAGERS: With the positive attitudes expressed by the students, nurse managers need to create a conducive environment to ensure such a positive attitude continues to excel.
This study determined and compared the knowledge of nosocomial infections among clinical health care students at the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana.
Two hundred undergraduate health care students from four academic programs participated in the study. The study sample was drawn from each academic program by a simple random sampling technique using the class directory from each course. The Infection Control Standardized Questionnaire (ICSQ) was used to assess the knowledge of students about three main domains, ie, hand hygiene, nosocomial infections, and standard precautions. A maximum score of 50 was obtainable, and respondents with scores ≥70% were classified as having a satisfactory knowledge. The response on each item was coded numerically to generate data for statistical analysis. Comparison of knowledge on the domains among categories of students was assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, while associations between courses of study and knowledge about nosocomial infections were determined using the Chi-square test. All statistical tests had a significant level of 5% (P < 0.05)
Overall mean percentage score of the participants on ICSQ was 65.4 ± 2.58, with medical, physiotherapy, radiography, and nursing students recording mean percentage scores of 70.58 ± 0.62, 65.02 ± 2.00, 64.74 ± 1.19, and 61.31 ± 2.35, respectively. The main source of information about the prevention of nosocomial infections as cited by participants was their routine formal training in class. There was no significant association (P > 0.05) between course of study and knowledge of students about preventive measures for nosocomial infections.
The students sampled demonstrated moderate knowledge of nosocomial infections and this was acquired largely through formal classroom training. These findings underscore the need for more emphasis on education about this important source of infection in the clinical training curriculum.
To assess the compliance with hand hygiene guidelines among nursing staff in secondary care hospitals in Kuwait. Subjects and
A cross-sectional study was conducted through direct observation using the Lewisham observation tool and self-administered questionnaire in six major public secondary care hospitals in Kuwait. Only patient care activities that are described as 'dirty contacts' by the Fulkerson scale were considered as indications for hand hygiene while any attempt for hand hygiene was considered as compliance. A self-administered questionnaire was prepared and pilot tested and then distributed to nursing staff at each ward immediately after conducting the inspection; 550 were distributed and 454 were completed and returned. Among 204 observation sessions, a total of 935 opportunities and 312 hand hygiene practices were recorded.
The overall compliance was 33.4%. The observed compliance significantly varied between different ward categories from 14.7% in emergency to 55% in medical wards. Of the 454 nursing staff who participated in self-reported compliance, 409 (90%) indicated that they always washed their hands upon practicing patient care activities. Nurses consistently reported higher compliance after conducting patient care activities rather than before. Being busy with work (42.2%), having sore/dry hands (30.4%) and wearing gloves (20.3%) were the most frequently reported hindrances to improving hand hygiene.
Observed hand hygiene compliance among nursing staff in secondary care hospitals in Kuwait was poor. High self-reported compliance may reflect a high level of awareness of hand hygiene but may also suggest that improving compliance through increasing awareness has probably reached saturation.
Hayajneh YA, AbuAlRub RF, Almakhzoomy IK. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 374–380 Adverse events in Jordanian hospitals: Types and causes
Adverse events in health care have become an important issue for health-care professionals, administrators, health policy-makers, public and patients. Literature on adverse events in Jordan is scarce. The purpose of the study was (i) to identify the common types and major causes of adverse events in Jordanian hospitals from the nurses' perspective; and (ii) to estimate the frequency of adverse events in Jordanian hospitals. Qualitative and quantitative data regarding the perceived types, causes and incidence of adverse events were collected using a web-based questionnaire. A total of 75 valid responses with qualitative and quantitative data were obtained. The results indicated (i) that medication errors, wrong diagnosis, hospital acquired infections, bed sores and falls were the most common types of adverse events; and (ii) that workload and inadequate staffing, technical performance, negligence and poor ethics, poor management, psychosocial job demands and written guidelines were the most common causes of adverse events. On average, participants in the study believed that adverse events occurred in about 28% of all hospital admissions. Nurse and hospital administrators and health policy-makers should develop and institute effective strategies and polices to prevent or minimize the occurrence of adverse events.
For this article, Steve Jones, Fiona Murphy, Mark Edwards and Jane James draw on experiences of delivering a questionnaire to a group of nursing students using the web. Although they encountered problems, this approach to data collection appears to have potential.
To assess the level of knowledge regarding and attitudes toward standard and isolation precautions among healthcare workers in a hospital.
A confidential, self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in a random sample of 1500 nurses and 500 physicians in a large teaching hospital.
A total of 1,241 questionnaires were returned (response rate, 62%). The median age of respondents was 39 years; 71.9% were women and 21.2% had senior staff status. One-fourth had previously participated in specific training regarding transmission precautions for pathogens conducted by the infection control team. More than half (55.9%) gave correct answers to 10 or more of the 13 knowledge-type questions. The following reasons for noncompliance with guidelines were judged as "very important": lack of knowledge (47%); lack of time (42%); forgetfulness (39%); and lack of means (28%). For physicians and healthcare workers in a senior position, lack of time and lack of means were significantly less important (P < .0005). On multivariate linear regression, knowledge was independently associated with exposure to training sessions (coefficient, 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.08 to 0.57; P = .009) and less professional experience (coefficient per increasing professional experience, -0.024; 95% confidence interval, -0.035 to -0.012; P < .0005).
Despite a training effort targeting opinion leaders, knowledge of transmission precautions for pathogens remained insufficient. Nevertheless, specific training proved to be the major determinant of "good knowledge".
Information regarding compliance with infection control precautions in the dental settings in the Middle East is scant.
To examine the knowledge and practices in infection control among dental staff and dental nurses at a university teaching dental center.
A self-administered, confidential questionnaire concerning various aspects of infection control knowledge and practices was distributed to 48 dental staff and 28 dental nurses working at the Jordan University of Science and Technology Dental Teaching Center.
Responses came from 37 (77%) dental teaching staff members and 23 (82%) dental nurses. Of the dental staff participants, 95% received hepatitis B immunization in comparison with 87% of the dental nurses. Dental nurses were more prone to percutaneous dental injuries (P < .05). In both groups, 100% reported routine wearing of gloves. Although the dental staff reported a statistically higher frequency of washing hands before gloving (46%), dental nurses reported a higher frequency of washing hands after removing the gloves (100%). Dental staff reported statistically higher frequency of routine mask use (43%) than dental nurses (30%).
Compliance with recommended guidelines for control of cross infection varied among the 2 tested groups. A need exists for proper practice of infection control by both dental staff and dental nurses.
Our goal was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding infection control and standard precautions among a group of nursing and midwifery instructors and students in Iran. A survey questionnaire was completed by 273 nursing and midwifery instructors and students at Shiraz University Medical Sciences during the period from May to November 2002. Two hundred thirty-one (90.9%) of the participants reported that they needed additional infection control education, especially on standard isolation precautions. There was a linear positive correlation between knowledge, practice, and attitude scores for the group of nursing, auxiliary nursing, and midwifery instructors, as well as their students (P<.05). Our study shows that there is an urgent need for evaluating education on infection control practices and standard precautions in general, as well as for structured infection control programs among nursing and midwifery staff.
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This study aimed to describe the expectations of Bachelor of Science nursing students regarding what constitutes an effective clinical education. In this study, a semistructured interview process was utilized with 17 nursing students studying in sophomore, junior and senior years in training units of hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Content analysis was employed to analyse the data. Data analysis led to identification of three main themes: (i) appropriate communication and interaction between instructors and students; (ii) incorporation of both theory and practice in clinical education, with two subthemes, one being the presence of the instructor as a factor for reducing the gap between theory and practice and the other being evaluation based on appropriate criteria; and (iii) having specialized instructors, with a specific emphasis on the instructor's knowledge and motivation as important factors in learning. The findings reveal the significant role of mentors in providing effective educational and clinical experiences. Therefore, mentors must strive to develop their knowledge and clinical behaviours according to students' needs in clinical settings.
Clostridium difficile is a bacterium which commonly causes diarrhoea in inpatients. C. difficile affects hospitalised patients worldwide and can pose a significant risk to patients. This article explores the transmission and risk factors for C. difficile infection (CDI). There are many aspects to the prevention and control of CDI: appropriate antibiotic use, early instigation and maintenance of prevention and control strategies, and high standards of environmental cleanliness, education, and surveillance. This article discusses the role of the nurse in each of these prevention and control activities.
Background:
Health Sciences students are exposed early to hospitals and to activities which increase their risk of acquiring infections. Infection control practices are geared towards reduction of occurrence and transmission of infectious diseases.
Objective:
To evaluate knowledge and attitudes of infection prevention and control among Health Science students at University of Namibia.
Methods:
To assess students' knowledge and attitudes regarding infection prevention and control and their sources of information, a self-administered questionnaire was used to look at standard precautions especially hands hygiene.
Results:
One hundred sixty two students participated in this study of which 31 were medical, 17 were radiography and 114 were nursing students. Medical students had better overall scores (73%) compared to nursing students (66%) and radiology students (61%). There was no significant difference in scores between sexes or location of the high school being either in rural or urban setting.
Conclusion:
Serious efforts are needed to improve or review curriculum so that health sciences students' knowledge on infection prevention and control is imparted early before they are introduced to the wards.
A national survey was conducted to assess pharmacist roles in transition-of-care (TOC) activities in the United States.
An online survey was sent to 1246 pharmacy directors who were members of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists to assess their involvement in TOC activities including medication reconciliation, admission histories, medication counseling, and postdischarge follow-up; pharmacy student and pharmacy technician involvement in TOC activities; the use of technology to facilitate TOC activities; and barriers to performing such activities.
A total of 393 respondents completed the survey (31.5% response rate). Twenty-seven percent of respondents indicated that pharmacists complete medication histories on admission, and 5% indicated that pharmacy technicians complete medication histories. Most respondents indicated that pharmacists do not routinely or consistently provide patients with tools to facilitate medication adherence before hospital discharge and that pharmacists do not routinely or consistently follow up with patients after discharge. Fifty-six percent of respondents indicated that pharmacists provide patient education for specific medications or for medications for specific diseases. Few respondents indicated that student pharmacists are involved with TOC activities. Most respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that it is important for pharmacists to be involved in TOC activities for hospitalized patients.
Approximately one third of survey respondents indicated that pharmacists complete medication histories. Most respondents indicated that pharmacists do not routinely or consistently provide patients with tools to facilitate medication adherence before hospital discharge or follow up with patients after discharge. Lack of pharmacy staff resources and insufficient recognition of the value of pharmacists' provision of TOC by health care executives, medical staff, nursing staff, and other health care professionals were the most frequently cited barriers to pharmacists assuming more significant roles in the TOC at the respondent's institution.
This study aimed to evaluate infection control (IC) practices among Jordanian registered nurses (RNs) working in intensive care unit (ICU) settings.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends periodic assessment of IC practices for health care workers as an effective strategy to control infections.
Cross-sectional descriptive design.
A stratified, cluster random sampling technique was used. The sample consisted of ICU RNs from all major health care service providers and from all geographical areas in Jordan. The IC-Practices Tool (Cronbach α = 0·88) a self-report instrument was used.
A total of 21 hospitals participated in the study, of which, 8 were governmental, 7 military, 4 private and 2 university-affiliated. The final sample consisted of 247 RNs from 56 critical care units. Of the total sample, 36% of RNs were from governmental hospitals. Of the total sample, 51% were female with a mean age of 28·5 years (SD = 5·2), and 54·7% worked in general ICUs. The mean overall IC practice score was 122·6 (SD = 13·2). Nurses who reported that they had been trained about IC procedures in their hospital scored higher on the IC practice scale (M = 124·3, SD = 12·3) than nurses who never received any IC training in the hospital (M = 117·3, SD = 14·6, p < 0·001).
This study demonstrated the importance of conducting IC educational programmes as an effective strategy to increase staff compliance with standard IC practices.
Educational role of IC nurse is important to enhance RNs compliance with standard IC practices.
Nurse managers (NMs) and registered nurses (RNs) have key roles in developing the patient safety culture, as the nursing staff is the largest professional group in health-care services. We explored their views on the patient safety culture in four acute care hospitals in Finland. The data were collected from NMs (n = 109) and RNs (n = 723) by means of a Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture instrument and analyzed statistically. Both groups recognized patient safety problems and critically evaluated error-prevention mechanisms in the hospitals. RNs, in particular, estimated the situation more critically. There is a need to develop the patient safety culture of hospitals by discussing openly about them and learning from mistakes and by developing practices and mechanisms to prevent them. NMs have central roles in developing the safety culture at the system level in hospitals in order to ensure that nurses caring for patients do it safely.
E-mail and World Wide Web surveys have been the subject of much hyperbole about their capabilities as well as some criticism of their limitations. In this report, the authors examine what is known and not known about the use of the Internet for surveying. Specifically, they consider evidence in the literature regarding response rates, timeliness, data quality, and cost. Using this evidence, the authors evaluate popular claims that Internet-based surveys can be conducted more quickly, effectively, cheaply, and/or easily than surveys conducted via conventional modes. They find that the realities of cost and speed often do not live up to the hype. Nonetheless, it is possible to implement Internet-based surveys in ways that are effective and cost-efficient. The authors conclude that the Internet will continue to grow in importance for conducting certain types of research surveys
The clinical learning environment has been identified as being central to nursing education. The clinical learning environment provides undergraduate nursing students with the opportunity to combine cognitive knowledge with the development of psychomotor and affective nursing skills. The preceptor role in undergraduate nursing education is complex and multifaceted. Undergraduate nursing students identify preceptors as key to their learning in the clinical setting; however, staff nurse preceptors often feel unprepared to serve in this role. This integrative literature review explores the role of the staff nurse preceptor through the perspective of undergraduate nursing students, nursing faculty, and staff nurses who are assigned to precept students as a function of their nursing role. Recommendations are made to facilitate the preparation of clinical preceptors to fulfill this essential role in preparing nursing students for clinical practice. [J Nurs Educ. 2013;52(x):xxx-xxx.].
Background:
In Jordan's nursing schools, infection prevention precautions are not taught in special courses. Instead, most nursing schools include the topic as a 1-hour lecture within the clinical courses, which is believed to be insufficient. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of a nursing infection prevention educational program presented to nursing students before graduation, to promote their knowledge of infection prevention precautions.
Methods:
A true experimental design was used to examine the effects of the infection prevention educational program on students' educational knowledge. This study involved a random assignment of subjects to experimental and control groups, and administration of the pretest and the posttest to all subjects in both groups separately.
Results:
Participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly better knowledge (t = 19.15; df = 95; P = .000) and attitude scores (t = 2.29; df = 46; P = .04) than participants in the control group after particpating in the infection prevention educational program. However, compliance scores were not significantly differernt between the 2 groups (t = 1.92; df = 95; P = .067); indeed, compliance was found to be significant within the experimental group (t = 10.65; df = 46; P = .000).
Conclusions:
It is important that nursing students be competent in infection prevention precautions; however, there may be deficits in their education in this area. The nursing curriculum should include additional emphasis on practice as a means to help translate theory into clinical behavior.
Although needlestick and sharps injuries (NSI) represent a major hazard in nursing practice, most studies rely on officially reported data and none have yet been undertaken in tropical environments. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional NSI survey targeting all nurses within a tropical Australian hospital, regardless of whether they had experienced an NSI or not. Our overall response rate was 76.7%. A total of 39 nurses reported 43 NSI events in the previous 12 months. The most common causative device was a normal syringe needle, followed by insulin syringe needles, i.v. needles or kits and blood collection needles. Half of the nurses’ NSI events occurred beside the patient's bed: drawing up medication was the most common reason. Nurses working in the maternity/neonatal wards were only 0.3 times as likely to have experienced an NSI as their counterparts in the medical or surgical wards. Overall, our study has shown that NSI events represent an important workplace issue for tropical Australian nurses. Their actual rate might also be higher than official reports suggest.
This study was designed to determine the current level of stress and its physical manifestations in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and student registered nurse anesthetists. It also looked at coping mechanisms individuals commonly employ to combat the effects of stress. The study used data collected between February and May 2008 using a Stress and Burnout Survey on an online survey tool (SurveyMonkey). The fiscal year 2008 president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Wanda Wilson, CRNA, PhD, distributed a link to this survey in 2 electronic requests to approximately 28,000 nurse anesthesia providers. The response rate was 26.9% (N = 7,537). Based on responses and comments, recommendations can be made for future wellness interventions for the Association and for individuals.
To describe the rate of needlestick/sharp injuries in nursing students, to estimate the rate of vaccination administration and to define nursing students' status using universal precautions for protecting from blood-borne infections.
Nursing students have a high risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens because they may have insufficient background knowledge to recognise the level of risk posed by a particular patient and their inexperience with procedural skills and infection control procedures.
This study was designed as a retrospective and descriptive survey.
The frequency and mechanism of needlestick/sharp injuries and hepatitis B immunisation were determined retrospectively by surveying students in three nursing schools. In November 2004, 473 students were questioned about needlestick/sharp injuries that they had sustained during their clinical practice and hepatitis B immunisations.
Forty-nine per cent of the students who responded sustained injuries; of these 74% were injured while on wards. The highest number (72.2%) had been injured by hollow-bore needles; 65.2% who were injured were not wearing gloves at the time of injury; 27% of injuries were associated with recapping the needle; 43.9% reported their injuries to administrators and the rate of those receiving medical assistance after needlestick/sharp injuries was less than not seeking assistance; 67.7% had been vaccinated against hepatitis B.
This study showed that nursing students frequently sustain needlestick/sharp injuries and hepatitis B immunisation rate was low.
Findings will help in designing more intensive education programs directed at the students to increase their awareness of and compliance with Universal Precautions and in instituting policies so that they are fully immunised against hepatitis B before beginning clinical practice.
Use of the Internet, and the opportunity to utilise computer-mediated communication (CMC) provides new alternatives for nurse researchers to collect data. The use of CMC for research purposes is advantageous for both researchers and participants. Through this mode of communication, recruitment of participants can be enhanced through reaching individuals who are geographically distant, and nurses have the opportunity to provide participants with true anonymity, which may be beneficial when exploring sensitive issues. This paper explores the existing literature and draws on healthcare studies that have used CMC as a data collection tool.
This article explores the concept of using online questionnaires to carry out nursing research. It discusses options for nurses who do not have advanced technical IT skills for electronic distribution of survey questionnaires. The general principles of web distribution are explained, and some approaches are evaluated in terms of current access to technology and its ease of use. The article also offers some practical advice for nurse researchers, and examines the advantages and disadvantages of using this new method of data collection, compared with traditional hard copy.
Institutions of higher education are now using Internet-based technology tools to conduct surveys for data collection. Research shows that the type and quality of responses one receives with online surveys are comparable with what one receives in paper-based surveys. Data collection can take place on Web-based surveys, e-mail-based surveys, and personal digital assistants/Smartphone devices. Web surveys can be subscription templates, software packages installed on one's own server, or created from scratch using Web programming development tools. All of these approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. The survey owner must make informed decisions as to the right technology to implement. The correct choice can save hours of work in sorting, organizing, and analyzing data.
Patient-to-patient transmission of nosocomial pathogens has been linked to transient colonization of health care workers, and studies have suggested that contamination of health care workers' clothing, including white coats, may be a vector for this transmission.
We performed a cross-sectional study involving attendees of medical and surgical grand rounds at a large teaching hospital to investigate the prevalence of contamination of white coats with important nosocomial pathogens, such as methicillin-sensitive Stapylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Each participant completed a brief survey and cultured his or her white coat using a moistened culture swab on lapels, pockets, and cuffs.
Among the 149 grand rounds attendees' white coats, 34 (23%) were contaminated with S aureus, of which 6 (18%) were MRSA. None of the coats was contaminated with VRE. S aureus contamination was more prevalent in residents, those working in inpatient settings, and those who saw an inpatient that day.
This study suggests that a large proportion of health care workers' white coats may be contaminated with S aureus, including MRSA. White coats may be an important vector for patient-to-patient transmission of S aureus.
To study the epidemiology of needlestick and sharp injuries in a university hospital in a developing country, Jordan.
A prospective study was undertaken of all needlestick and sharp injuries among workers at the Jordan University Hospital between 1993 and 1995. Health care workers were asked to report in person to the infection-control team to verify the incident and to respond to a questionnaire. Blood was obtained from patients and health care workers immediately and from the health care workers 6 months later for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and HIV testing.
During the 3-year period, 248 health care workers had needlestick and sharp injuries. Of these, 34.6% were staff nurses, 19%, environmental workers, 15.7%, interns, 11.7%, residents, 8.5%, practical nurses, and 6% were technicians. The incidence density was highest for the interns followed by staff nurses and environmental workers. Of incidents, 22.6% occurred during blood drawing, 11.3% during placing intravenous lines, 8.5% during administration of medication, 11% during recapping the needle, 10.5% during needle disposal, 12.5% during garbage collection, and 5% were caused by a neglected needle. Only 117 patients were identified; 36 of 62 of these had positive results for hepatitis B surface antigen, and 8 of 13 for hepatitis C virus.
Needlestick and sharp injuries occur frequently in developing countries. Safer disposal facilities and routine hepatitis B vaccine should be adopted.
This study has demonstrated that the white coats of medical students are more likely to be bacteriologically contaminated at points of frequent contact, such as the sleeve and pocket. The organisms identified were principally skin commensals including Staphylococcus aureus. The cleanliness of the coat as perceived by the student was correlated with bacteriological contamination, yet despite this, a significant proportion of students only laundered their coats occassionally. This study supports the view that the students' white coat is a potential source of cross infection on the ward and its design should be modified in order to facilitate hand washing. Hospitals training medical students should consider taking on the burden of providing freshly laundered white coats for the students.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the nurses' knowledge of and compliance with Universal Precautions (UP) in an acute hospital in Hong Kong. A total of 450 nurses were randomly selected from a population of acute care nurses and 306 were successfully recruited in the study. The study revealed that the nurses' knowledge of UP was inadequate. In addition, UP was not only insufficiently and inappropriately applied, but also selectively practiced. Nearly all respondents knew that used needles should be disposed of in a sharps' box after injections. However, nurses had difficulty in distinguishing between deep body fluids and other general body secretions that are not considered infectious in UP. A high compliance was reported regarding hand-washing, disposal of needles and glove usage. However, the use of other protective wear such as masks and goggles was uncommon. The results also showed no significant relationships between the nurses' knowledge and compliance with UP. It is recommended that UP educational programmes need to consider attitudes in conjunction with empirical knowledge. Nurse managers and occupational health nurses should take a leadership role to ensure safe practices are used in the care of patients.
To investigate (a) the effect of job-related stress on job performance among hospital nurses, and (b) the effect of social support from coworkers on the stress-performance relationship.
A correlational descriptive survey was used to investigate these relationships among a convenience sample of 263 American hospital nurses and 40 non-American nurses who were accessible via the Internet.
Data were collected using a Web-based structured questionnaire, which included the Nursing Stress Scale, the Schwirian Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance, the McCain and Marklin Social Integration Scale, and the demographic form. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, and hierarchical regression techniques were used to analyze the data.
Perceived social support from coworkers enhanced the level of reported job performance and decreased the level of reported job stress. The analysis also indicated a curvilinear (U-shaped) relationship between job stress and job performance; nurses who reported moderate levels of job stress believed that they performed their jobs less well than did those who reported low or high levels of job stress.
Results indicted the importance of social support from coworkers, as well as the need for further research to test the U-shaped relationship between job stress and job performance.
Medical students are at high risk of being exposed to blood-borne pathogens. The aim of this study was to identify the levels of knowledge, attitude and practice of medical students regarding standard isolation precautions in Iran. A questionnaire was filled out by 468 medical students in their fifth to seventh year of study. Their mean knowledge, attitude and practice levels of standard isolation precautions were 6.1+/-1.5 (maximum possible score 9), 32.3+/-3.5 (out of 45), and 2.3+/-1.6 (out of 9), respectively. Statistically significant positive correlations were observed between knowledge and attitude, knowledge and practice, and practice and attitude. Ninety percent of medical students in Shiraz had received no education of standard isolation precautions, and 75% of respondents wanted more education on standard isolation precautions. Education on infection control issues should not only be focused on healthcare workers, but should also include medical students.
This paper reports the first investigation of the prevalence and nature of needlestick injuries among Australian nursing students.
Needlestick and sharps injuries are the most efficient method of transmitting blood-borne pathogens between patients and healthcare staff. Although nurses are known to be a high-risk subgroup for these events, nursing students may be at even greater risk due to their limited clinical experience. Despite this fact, the epidemiology of needlestick and sharps injuries among nursing students has not been clearly elucidated in Australia.
A questionnaire-based methodology adapted from other international investigations was conducted among nursing students. We recruited a complete cross-section of students from a large university nursing school in North Queensland, Australia, in March 2004, and analysed needlestick and sharps events as a percentage of all students and also as a proportion of all cases. Risk factors were evaluated using logistic regression.
From a group of 319 students, 274 successfully completed questionnaires were obtained (overall response rate 85.9%). A total of 38 students (13.9%) reported a needlestick or sharps injury during the previous 12 months. By causative item, 6.2% of students had been injured by a normal hollow-bore syringe needle, 3.6% by a glass item and 3.3% by an insulin syringe needle. Regarding prior usage, 81.6% of all injuring items were unused, 15.8% had been used on a patient and the status of 2.6% was unknown. Most needlestick injuries occurred either in the nursing laboratory (45%) or the teaching hospital (37%). Opening the needle cap was the most common causative event (28% of all cases). A total of 39.5% of needlestick injuries were not reported. The main reason for non-reporting was that the item was unused (42%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that students in the third year were 14.8 times more likely to have experienced a needlestick injury than their counterparts in other years (odds ratio 14.8, 95% confidence interval 5.2-50.3, P < 0.01). These injury rates were higher among Australian nursing students than in other international studies.
Although hepatitis B vaccination coverage among the students was excellent, it is important that the principles of infection-control training and reporting of all needlestick and sharps continue to be emphasized throughout undergraduate nursing education.
Hand hygiene behaviour in 71 healthcare professionals was observed on hospital wards for a total of 132 h, encompassing 1284 hand hygiene opportunities. Questionnaires completed by the participants were used to compare actual behaviours with self-reported behaviours, as well as intentions and attitudes towards hand hygiene. Observed practice showed very poor rates of adherence to guidelines and indicated that staff failed to take account of risk, even with patients colonized with meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Observed practice was unrelated to carers' intentions and self-reported behaviour. The results suggest that hand hygiene interventions that target changes in attitudes, intentions or self-reported practice are likely to fail in terms of changing behaviour, and consideration is given to how this could be remedied.
Although needlestick and sharps injuries (NSI) are known to affect professional nurses at high rates, most studies depend on officially reported data and few have been undertaken in Korea. Thus, we surveyed a large cross-section of nurses from a hospital in Gangneung (response rate, 97.9%). Four hundred thirty-two incidents of NSI were reported by 263 nurses (79.7%) in the previous 12-month period (average, 1.31 events/nurse/year). Syringe needles were the most common devices, affecting 67.3% and comprising 52% of all NSI events. Sixty percent of all NSI events involved contaminated devices. Opening an ampoule or vial was the most common cause (affecting 35.2% of all nurses and accounting for 15.9% of all NSI events). Logistic regression indicated that nurses working in "other" departments were 5.4 times more likely to suffer any NSI (odds ratio [OR] = 5.4; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 2.0-15.2; P < .05) and 4.7 times more likely to incur a syringe-needle injury than nurses in intensive care units or inpatient departments (OR = 4.7; 95% CI = 2.0-11.6; P < .05). Younger-than-average nurses (< 27 years) were 4.5 times more likely to suffer NSI (OR = 4.5; 95% CI = 1.7-12.6; P < .05) and 3.1 times more likely to incur a syringe-needle injury (OR = 3.1; 95% CI = 1.4-7.0; P < .05). Working mixed shifts also increased the risk of any NSI (OR = 4.0; 95% CI = 1.7-10.4; P < .05) or syringe-needle NSI (OR = 4.4; 95% CI = 2.0-10.1; P < .05). Overall, our study suggests that NSI are common among Korean hospital nurses and represent a significant occupational burden for this large Asian demographic. Intervention and preventive strategies to help reduce their NSI exposures are urgently required in this country.