Improving Nurses' Compliance with Standard Precautions of Infection Control in Pediatric Critical Care Units

Abstract

Severely ill pediatric patients have a greater risk of acquiring nosocomial infections, however, this problem is greatest in critical care units. Therefore, healthcare professionals have an obligation to follow scientifically accepted standards for infection control to prevent disease transmission amongst pediatric patients or among patients and healthcare professionals. This study aimed to improve the nurses’ compliance with standard precautions of infection control in pediatric critical care units. Research design was a quasiexperimental design. Settings: four pediatric critical care units (medicine, surgery, cardiac and neonatal intensive care unit) at El Mansoura University Children's Hospital. Purposive samples of 60 nurses working in the previously mentioned settings were used. Tools of data collection included 1- Structured interview questionnaire to assess nurses' knowledge and barriers regarding standard precautions of infection control 2- Nurses’ Observational checklists to assess nurses’ practices regarding standard precautions of infection control. 3- Nurses' self-reported compliance with SPIC to assess the nurses' compliance with standard precautions of infection control 4-Educational and training intervention for nurses. Results revealed that there was a significant improvement in nurses' compliance as well as their knowledge and practices toward standard precautions of infection control after the intervention. In conclusion:, the intervention of the study improved the nurses' compliance with standard precautions of infection control by increasing their knowledge and practices. For recommendation, availability of all facilities and equipment required for applying SPIC as well as, the accessibility of written guidelines and emphasize on the importance of continuing in service education for nurses using the evidence-based practices for application of standard precautions of infection control.