Assessment of nurses knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding of Health Care Acquired Infections (HCAI) In Hebron Hospitals

Date
2020-12-22
Authors
Lo’ai Sa’di Abu-Rayyan
لؤي سعدي ابو ريان
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Al-Quds University
Abstract
Background: Nurses are health care professionals who play an important role to protect patients from acquiring infections while hospitalized or while in a health care set up or after discharge. According to World Health Organization WHO, Health Care-Associated or Acquired Infection (HCAI), also referred to as "nosocomial" or "hospital" infection, is an infection occurring for a patient during the process of care in a hospital or other health care facility which was not present or incubated at the time of admission. And the HCAI can be occurred anywhere at any hospital, so all health care providers are at risk for it. Aim: This study aims to assess nurse’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding hospitals acquired infections (HCAI) in Hebron hospitals. The study outcomes may help in setting strategies, protocols and plans to decrease these acquired infections. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional design with a sample consisted of 409 nurses was conducted at 6 hospitals in Hebron district, three of them were governmental hospital, two were non- governmental and the last one was a private hospital. All nurses in these hospitals were targeted. Data was collected by using self-administered questionnaire that consisted of 69 items to construct six sections covering social demographics, determinants and health care worker activities, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses toward HCAI, and finally institutional measures to control HCAI. Findings: in this study, 426 questionnaires were distributed, 409 participants completed the questionnaires, with a response rate of 96%. Most of participants were males; 58.2% (n= 238) while 41.8 % (n=171) were females. The majority of nurses aged between 26 to 30 age group (n= 136, 33.3%). The knowledge score showed a mean of 4.10 with a SD of 0.44. It therefore indicated that nurses had adequate knowledge on infection prevention and control. The attitude score showed a mean of 4.04 with a SD of 0.41. Therefore, it also indicated that nurses had positive attitudes towards infection prevention and control. The practice score was lower than knowledge and attitudes with a mean of 3.60 and SD of 0.45. Furthermore, nurses IV ‘perception toward their institutional measures was good with regard to infection prevention and control (a mean of 3.39 with a SD of 0.49). Conclusion: HCAI can be managed considering nursing KAP level, in addition to hospital institutional measurements. The findings of the study concluded that the participants (nurses) had a high level of knowledge, positive attitude and intermittent level of practice. On the other hand, the health institutional measurement affected positively nursing KAP in order to prevent HCAI in Hebron hospitals. So, it is suggested to keep our nurses staff and health care workers up to date with infection prevention precautions measures to enhance their KAP.
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