Nursing students' knowledge, attitude and practices of infection prevention and control guidelines at a tertiary institution in the Western Cape: A cross sectional study

Infection prevention and control continuous education and training in pre-registration nursing programmes

BACKGROUND

Infection prevention and control (IPC) education and training in pre-registration nursing programmes are imperative in developing student nurses' clinical aptitudes. The IPC core competencies must be consistent amongst student nurses across different settings, asserting the need for education and training providers to respond. Continuous education and training can improve IPC core competencies through enhanced knowledge, compliance, and attitude in the academic and clinical contexts, impacting future nursing practice and patient safety.

OBJECTIVE

This integrative review critically examines the reported IPC core competencies in pre-registration nursing programmes to contribute to future continuous IPC education and training.

REVIEW METHODS

An integrative literature review methodology was utilised to conduct a structured literature search within the last five years using CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases. The following keywords were used: infection prevention and control; pre-registration nursing; higher education; core competencies in the databases. A total of 15 articles were identified under the inclusion criteria of peer-reviewed primary research in English on the pre-registration nurse population and their nursing programmes.

RESULTS

The final review of the 15 reports yielded continuous IPC education and training, knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and clinical placements as key components to develop and elevate student nurses' IPC core competencies.

CONCLUSION

All reports acknowledged the challenges of maintaining IPC core competencies and seeking diversified strategies to support continuous education and training utilising interactive tools embedded with simulated scenarios and quizzes, translating knowledge and skills to exemplary professional behaviours, and consistent academic and clinical support as the IPC demand intensifies.

A multi-institute, follow-up, observational study measuring nursing students' adherence to infection prevention and control protocols in Saudi Arabia

Background

Nursing students learn principles of infection prevention and control (IPC) and hand hygiene (HH) in clinical courses, and their learning is reflected in their practice.

Objectives

The knowledge, attitude, and practice of principles of IPC and HH of the students were measured prior to and after attending an educational workshop. The adherence of the students to the IPC and HH protocols at the hospital was also observed.

Methods

This study included a pretest-posttest time series follow-up and an observational part. During the first part of the study, students attended a workshop, which was preceded by a pretest. It was then followed by a posttest directly after finishing the workshop and in 12 weeks. Participants were submitted to an observational part by a trained observer to document certain skills taught earlier during the workshop.

Settings

Students from three nursing schools in Saudi Arabia participated in the study.

Participants

A total number of 130 completed the study protocol, and 100 completed the observation part.

Results

Students were found to experience an improvement in their knowledge, beliefs, and commitment scales after the workshop. The attitude scale remained relatively unchanged over different tests. Most students performed the skills properly and adequately, but some failed to perform certain skills, like hand rub, and the proper use of disinfectants.

Knowledge and perception of nosocomial infections among patients in a Nigerian hospital

Nosocomial infections are infections that are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients, and can lead to higher healthcare costs and longer hospital stays in both developed and developing countries. The objectives of the study were to identify the level of knowledge and perception of patients on nosocomial infection, and to determine the factors affecting the knowledge and perception of patients on nosocomial infection in Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, Lagos (FMC). A cross-sectional research design was used in carrying out the research among in-patients of FMC where an interview-based semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Patients' knowledge was categorised as good (≥ 70% score), fair (50-69%) and poor (< 50% score) while perception was grouped as positive and negative. Independent sample T-test and One-way Analysis of Variance was used to assess statistical difference in knowledge scores between categorical variables with 2 and 3 groups respectively. A total of 102 patients gave consent to participate in this study of which 46.1% were male, 27.5% were aged between 38 and 47 years and 69.6% were married. About 24% did not know what is meant by nosocomial infections while 53.9% stated that all hospital-acquired infections are preventable. Less than 19% strongly disagreed that making alcohol rubs mandatory for all visitors would decrease the incidence of nosocomial infections while all strongly agreed that if left untreated, such infections can become life-threatening. Overall, 15.7% showed good knowledge while most patients showed fair knowledge (71.6%) and a negative perception (51%) of nosocomial infections. There was a significant difference in patients' knowledge of nosocomial infections based on age (0.012). There was also a statistically significant association between age and perception of patients towards nosocomial infections (p = 0.031). This study showed that most patients had fair knowledge as well as negative perception towards nosocomial infections. Age, had an influence on patients' perception and knowledge of nosocomial infection.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices toward infection prevention and control among undergraduate pharmacy students in Zambia: findings and implications

Background

Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are critical in preventing the risk of acquiring and transmitting nosocomial infections. In Zambia, there is little information concerning IPC practices among pharmacy students who are exposed to potentially infectious areas both in public and private healthcare settings. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices of undergraduate pharmacy students toward infection prevention and control at the University of Zambia.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 290 undergraduate pharmacy students at the University of Zambia using a structured questionnaire from August 2022 to October 2022. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0, and statistical significance was set at a 95% confidence level.

Results

Of the 290 participants, 166(57.2%) were female and the majority were aged between 18 and 23 years. Overall, 252(86.9%) had good knowledge, 167(57.6%) had positive attitudes, and 248(85.5%) had good practices toward IPC measures. These results indicate lower attitude scores compared to knowledge and practices. Having good knowledge of IPC was associated with being a Christian by religion compared to other religions (OR = 5.314, 95% CI: 1.141-24.745). There was no association between sociodemographics and attitude and practice concerning IPC.

Conclusion

This study found that pharmacy students had good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices toward IPC measures. Consequently, more emphasis is needed to improve the student's knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward IPC, especially in areas where gaps were identified. Additionally, there is a need to improve curricula on IPC measures in the training of pharmacy programs.

How nursing students learn infection control education through undergraduate nursing programs: a phenomenographic research study

BACKGROUND

Competency in infection control is crucial for implementing nursing best practices to ensure patient safety. However, research is lacking on the infection control education received by nursing students prior to entering clinical settings as nurses. This study aimed to explore how nursing students conceptualize infection control care in undergraduate nursing programs.

METHODS

This study employed a qualitative research method using phenomenography. Universities providing undergraduate nursing programs in Korea. Thirty nursing students: 10 students each from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years of five undergraduate programs. Data were collected from May 2019 to February 2020 through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a phenomenographic analysis procedure.

RESULTS

Six descriptive categories were derived inductively for nursing students' frames of reference regarding infection control care and six descriptive categories of how nursing students learned about infection control care. The structural framework of the identified categories, about how nursing students learn about infection control care, was presented as an outcome space.

CONCLUSIONS

Given that nursing students demonstrate diverse conceptualizations of infection control and are at varying levels of learning, professors and clinical mentors need to develop theoretical education and clinical practice opportunities that consider these differences.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of infection prevention and control among radiographers in a resource constraint setting in Namibia

Background

Radiographers' role as healthcare workers places them at constant risk for hospital-acquired infections. Practical, evidence-based methods are necessary to reduce the transmission of pathogens to and from patients and healthcare workers.

Objective

The main objectives of this study were to determine knowledge, attitude, and practice levels regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies among radiographers in Windhoek and Oshakati, and measure their relationships with other variables.

Method

A quantitative descriptive design was employed. To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice levels among radiographers, a self-administered questionnaire was used. Twenty-seven radiographers took part in the study, producing a 68% response rate.

Results

The study revealed that the majority of the radiographers showed an appropriate level of overall knowledge and attitude toward infection prevention and control. However, the majority of their practice levels were poor. Pearson rank correlation test revealed that the radiographers' knowledge was significantly associated with attitudes (P= 0.004; r=0.53) and practices (P=0.03; r=- 0.41) with a moderate positive and negative correlation, respectively.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the study revealed that radiographers are knowledgeable about IPC strategies, and have good attitudes toward them. However, their practice was poor and inconsistent with the level of knowledge demonstrated. Therefore, it is recommended that healthcare service managers establish efficient and rigorous means of monitoring adherence to IPC strategies and improving practices to reduce incidences of health-acquired infections among radiographers, especially in the age of a pandemic.

Review of literature: Knowledge and practice of standard precautions by nursing student and teaching techniques used in training

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.

Nursing Students’ Perceptions on Healthcare-Associated Infection Control and Prevention Teaching and Learning Experience in Portugal

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are one of the major concerns worldwide, posing significant challenges to healthcare professionals’ education and training. This study intended to measure nursing students’ perceptions regarding their learning experiences on HAI prevention and control. In the first phase of the study, a cross-sectional and descriptive study with a convenience sample composed of undergraduate nursing students from Portugal, Spain, Poland, and Finland was conducted to develop the InovSafeCare questionnaire. In the second phase, we applied the InovSafeCare scale in a sample of nursing students from two Portuguese higher education institutions to explore which factors impact nursing students’ adherence to HAI prevention and control measures in clinical settings. In phase one, the InovSafeCare questionnaire was applied to 1326 students internationally, with the instrument presenting adequate psychometric qualities with reliability results in 14 dimensions. During phase two, the findings supported that Portuguese nursing students’ adherence to HAI prevention and control measures is influenced not only by the curricular offerings and resources available in academic settings, but also by the standards conveyed by nursing tutors during clinical placements. Our findings support the need for a dedicated curricular focus on HAI prevention and control learning, not only through specific classroom modules, innovative resources, and pedagogical approaches, but also through a complementary and coordinated liaison between teachers and tutors in academic and clinical settings.

Assessing knowledge of nosocomial infection among Omani student nurses: a cross-sectional study

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.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of NICU Doctors and Nurses Toward Prevention and Control of Nosocomial Infection With Multidrug Resistant Organism

BACKGROUND

Nosocomial infection with multidrug resistant organisms (MDRO) can directly influence the curative effect and the prognosis of neonates, bringing great difficulties to clinical treatment. As direct contacts of neonates, the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of doctors and nurses are critical for the prevention and control of MDRO infection in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

PURPOSE

This study describes the KAP of doctors and nurses in NICUs toward the prevention and control of nosocomial infection with MDRO and analyzes its influencing factors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling to survey 397 doctors and nurses from the NICU of 28 hospitals in 11 cities in Zhejiang Province, China. A univariate analysis and a multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

The median scoring rate (interquartile range) of the knowledge, attitude, and practice questionnaire was 0.86 (0.82-0.91), 0.98 (0.91-1.00), and 0.995 (0.97-1.00), respectively. However, the median scoring rate regarding "basic knowledge of MDRO" and "special prevention and control measures" was 0.50 in knowledge. The multiple linear regression showed that the influencing factors of KAP were hospital grade, professional title, gender, regular supervision, and training.

CONCLUSIONS

There was still room for improvement in the KAP of NICU doctors and nurses, especially regarding the knowledge. Men, doctors and nurses in Grade II hospitals, and doctors and nurses with primary professional titles had worse KAP. Training and supervision helped improve the KAP.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

To improve the KAP of doctors and nurses to enhance the prevention and control effect for the MDRO infection in NICUs, hospitals and departments should carry out targeted training and strengthen supervision, while Grade II hospitals, men, and doctors and nurses with primary professional titles need more attention.

Evidence of learning on the insertion and care of peripheral venous catheters in nursing students: A mixed study

OBJECTIVES

1) To assess nursing students' evidence-based knowledge on the use of PVCs, and 2) to examine the perception of learning and teaching strategies aimed at this skill.

BACKGROUND

Insertion and care of Peripheral Venous Catheters (PVCs) are essential skills in undergraduate nursing education. Appropriate knowledge of this skill is crucial to improve clinical practice and patient safety. Therefore, training becomes an enabler for safe practice.

DESIGN

A multi-centre convergent parallel mixed-methods.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 675 second-, third- and fourth-year nursing students from 3 nursing schools took part in the study.

METHODS

Quantitative data collection used a validated 15-question survey on knowledge of PVC management, and a descriptive and inferential analysis was carried out. Qualitative data were collected via a questionnaire consisting of 4 open-ended questions assessing knowledge, teaching methodologies and scenarios, and points for improvement.

RESULTS

Most participants were female (74.04%), with a mean age of 22.45 (SD = 4.65), who had no experience in the health field (61.8%). They obtained a mean knowledge score of 7.27 (SD = 2.64) out of 15. The students who obtained higher scores had a mean professional experience of 7.96, SD = 2.66 (p 0.000) and were in their final year, with a mean of 8.59, SD = 2.56, (p 0.000). On the other hand, the students assessed their knowledge as basic but improving year by year. They also identified a need to apply more active and experiential methodologies that would allow for reflection.

CONCLUSION

Level of educational level and experience is associated with increased knowledge. In order to improve knowledge, changes must be made in the training process to incorporate methodologies such as simulation and online training. There is a need to develop programmes that favour the alignment of theory with clinical practice.

Student nurses' knowledge about the management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia: Multi-national survey

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is a serious global health concern. It is essential that student nurses who are the future of healthcare are equipped with the right knowledge to care for the unique needs of patients with neutropenia.

OBJECTIVE

The study assesses student nurses' knowledge of neutropenia management and examines the difference in their knowledge with regard to their demographics.

DESIGN

A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used.

SETTINGS

Participants for this survey were recruited from four nursing schools from three countries: Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

PARTICIPANTS

The study sample comprised 230 student nurses representing all three countries.

METHODS

Online data collection was implemented. A message including the link to the study questionnaire was sent to students through their university portal. Demographic data and the neutropenia knowledge questionnaire were collected.

RESULTS

The student nurses showed poor knowledge of neutropenia and its management (mean = 10.1 out of 30). The bridging students (M = 12.6, SD = 9.8) had significantly higher mean total knowledge scores than the regular students (M = 9.8, SD = 5.5) (t = 2.9, df = 38.9, p = 0.006). However, students who had received previous education about neutropenia management (M = 11.6, SD = 5.0) had significantly higher mean knowledge scores than those who had not (M = 9.5, SD = 5.6) (t = -2.73, df = 134.8, p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings underscore the overarching necessity to improve students' knowledge of neutropenia and its management. However, addressing this concern is multifaceted and requires deliberate effort from various agencies. Developing innovative strategies to increase the coverage of oncology nursing in the curriculum, improving faculty expertise, enhancing staff nurses' knowledge and skills, provision of funding, and adoption of oncology-related competencies in the nursing program need to be explored as key solutions.

Knowledge And Judgments About Standard Precautions For Nosocomial Infection: Comparative Analysis Of Medical Vs. Non-Medical Students

Background — Nosocomial infection (NI) is among the most common and serious challenges in a healthcare system. Health workers and medical students play an important role in prevention of NI. Despite advances in the field of medicine in Kazakhstan, low detection rate of NIs remains unchanged, which could be due to a lack of awareness of the standard precautions for infection control among medical students and health workers. This study is aimed at examining knowledge and judgments on NIs among medical and non-medical students. Material and Methods — We conducted a cross-sectional paper-based survey to examine the knowledge and judgments about the standard precautions for NI among medical and non-medical students. Data collection took place between September 21 and December 20, 2017. Results — The study enrolled 2,817 students. The mean overall score (±SD) was 2.045±1.29. Medical students had a better mean overall score (2.113) than non-medical students (1.785; p<0.001). Awareness of the standard preventive measures was increasing with a year of study, but still just one-third of year 5 medical students were aware of standard prevention (36.3% vs. 17.4% for non-medical students; p<0.001). Conclusion — The overall score of our survey indicated inadequate knowledge and awareness of the guidelines on infection prevention and control among both medical and non-medical students. In order to improve patient safety and welfare, the courses on infection control should be introduced into the curricular of medical universities in Kazakhstan.

Critical care nurses' compliance and barriers toward ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention guidelines: cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to determine the compliance of critical care nurses with the ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention guidelines and the factors that affect their compliance. We also explored the barriers faced by the nurses in the implementation of these guidelines.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire containing 17 recommended strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia and 15 possible barriers. All critical care nurses of varying qualifications, levels of experience, and nationalities working in adult ICUs were invited. Between January and March 2018, the questionnaire was distributed to 283 nurses at eight ICUs in five public hospitals in Almadinah Almunawwarah, KSA.

RESULTS

A total of 229 invitees responded to the questionnaire. The mean compliance score was 85.9%. More than half (54%) of the sample had a high or acceptable compliance level. The lowest compliance rate was reported for the suctioning of subglottic secretions. The main reported barriers were the shortage of nursing staff, forgetfulness, and hospital cost control policies. Working in general ICUs with the capacity of 10-15 beds or prior education related to ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention influenced the nurses' compliance.

CONCLUSION

In our study, the overall compliance of the critical care nurses with the ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention guidelines is acceptable. Shortage of nursing staff, forgetfulness, and cost control policies were the main reported barriers to compliance.

Knowledge, attitude, practice, and clinical recommendation toward infection control and prevention standards among nurses: A systematic review

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.