Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Mothers Working as Nurses Toward Multidrug-Resistant: Impact of an Educational Program in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Objective

This study seeks to assess the influence of an educational program on enhancing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of NICU nurses regarding MDROs.

Methodology

Quasi-experimental design that investigated the efficacy of an educational intervention in shaping the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers working as nurses in NICU toward MDROs was used. A total of 168 nurses participated, divided into 84 intervention groups and 84 non-educational groups.

Results

The analysis of overall knowledge scores before and after the educational interventions revealed a significant improvement in post-education knowledge scores (Mean = 16.94) compared to pre-education scores (Mean = 12.9929; t(83) = 40.119, p < 0.001). Attitude scores exhibited a notable improvement post-education, with mean scores increasing from 46.64 in the pretest to 58.45 in the posttest. The total attitude shift was statistically significant (t(83) = 104.23, p < 0.001 0). Regarding overall practice, the data suggests a positive impact of education on neonatal nurses' practices related to antibiotic usage (t(3) = 149.31, p < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between post-knowledge and post-attitude (r = 0.251, p = 0.021).

Conclusion

Based on the study findings, the MDROs educational program demonstrated its effectiveness in improving nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward MDROs, serving as a valuable educational resource for nurses. Given the increasing demand for nurses with MDROs knowledge, attitude, and practice in NICU, and considering the documented positive impact on protecting neonates from fatal infections, enhancing nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward MDROs has become imperative.

Development of a high-risk neonatal infection control competency scale

The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to measure high-risk neonatal infection control competency among nurses in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The study participants included 251 nurses working in NICUs at seven hospitals in South Korea. The scale was designed to measure high-risk neonatal infection control competency in terms of performance (HirNICCS_P) and knowledge (HirNICCS_K), which were addressed by 42 and 54 items, respectively, and was initially subjected to content validity testing by a panel of experts in neonatal nursing. The items were divided into five factors: (1) basic care, (2) skin care, (3) feeding management, (4) medication and invasive procedures, and (5) environment management. After participant completion of the scale, construct validity was examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and internal reliability tests were also performed. The total variance of validity was 53.7% for HirNICCS_P, and the Cronbach's alpha values for reliability were .95 for HirNICCS_P and .67 for HirNICCS_K based on a Kuder-Richardson-20 test. We concluded that this scale can be used to assess the performance and knowledge with regard to infection control competency among neonatal nurses and that its application can support strengthening of infection control education for nurses who score low on performance and knowledge competency.