Purpose
Nurses are at the forefront of the battle against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Nurses’ expertise, attitude, and practice of prevention and control are important to provide a good quality of care for patients and to protect themselves from COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes and practices toward droplet and airborne universal precaution among nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak and to identify factors associated with nursing practices. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among nurses who had been involved in COVID-19 prevention and control and were able to join in the research from referral hospitals from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia from May 1 to 20, 2020. The questionnaire comprised three parts: demographic characteristics, attitude toward droplet and airborne universal precaution, and practice toward droplet and airborne universal precaution. Results: The response rate was 91.7% (550 of 600 nurses). The majority were women (75.5%), aged 31.26±7.19 years (range: 22~55). Attitude (β=.51, p=.036) and perception of risk of contracting COVID-19 (β=.66, p=.045) were factors found to be associated with practices toward droplet and airborne universal precaution during the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusion: The Indonesian government needs to improve health services by enhancing and expanding tailored training programs for nurses on routine infection prevention and provide policies to better control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Citations

• Influences of healthcare workers' behaviours towards infection prevention and control practices in the clinical setting: A systematic review
  Gift A. Mutsonziwa, Marwa Mojab, Megha Katuwal, Paul Glew
  Nursing Open.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with compliance with standard precautions among hemodialysis unit nurses.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study design was used. One hundred ninety six nurses were recruited from 18 hemodialysis units in South Korea. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 23.0 to provide descriptive statistics to describe the characteristics of the sample and variables. A hierarchical linear model was used to analyze effects of individual and hospital characteristics on nurses' compliance with standard precautions.
RESULTS
The majority of the sample was female (98%) and reported receiving in-service education on infection control (80%). The participants' average year of work experience in hemodialysis units was 7 years and the average nurse-patient ratio was 7:1. At the individual level, the perception of patients' severity, the length of work experience in hemodialysis unit, and the safety climate on infection prevention practices were significantly associated with nurse's compliance with standard precautions. At the hospital level, clinics showed a lower compliance with standard precautions than general hospital or university hospital.
CONCLUSION
In order to enhance compliance with standard precautions among hemodialysis unit nurses, it is imperative to warrant safety climate on infection prevention practice at clinics and develop infection control educational program for nurses with less work experience in hemodialysis units.

Citations

• Factors Influencing Emergency Department Nurses’ Compliance with Standard Precautions Using Multilevel Analysis
  Su Jung Kim, Eun Ju Lee
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(11): 6149.     CrossRef
• Factors influencing the adherence of nurses to standard precautions in South Korea hospital settings
  Eunja Oh, Jeong Sil Choi
  American Journal of Infection Control.2019; 47(11): 1346.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of maximal sterile barrier precaution on the central venous catheter-related infection and subsequent cost savings.
METHODS
Study subjects were 462 hospitalized patients with central venous, catheter of more than 48 hours duration. Data collection period was from April 2008 to February 2009 at a tertiary university hospital in Seoul. Subjects were randomly assigned to either the treatment or the usual care group. Patients in the treatment group (n=209) were treated by staff using maximal sterile barrier precautions and the comparison group(n=253) received traditional care.
RESULTS
Central venous catheter-days was2,821 in treatment group and 3,515 in comparison group. The incidence density of central venous catheter-related infection was 2.1 times higher in the comparison group (8.2 per 1,000 catheter-days) compared with the treatment group (3.9 per 1,000 catheter-days). The incidence density of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infection was 4.54 times higher than in the comparison group (3.2 per 1,000 catheter-days) compared with the treatment group (0.7 per 1,000 catheter-days). The attributable cost of central venous catheter-related infection in the treatment group was 10,174,197 won and that of the comparison group was 22,224,554 won. Attributable cost by area was also significantly lower compared with that of the comparisons.
CONCLUSION
The maximal sterile barrier precaution during central venous catheter insertion was an effective intervention to reduce central venous catheter-related infection rate and provides a significant cost savings.