Nurses' Compliance with Infection Control Measures in the Evaluation of Vital Signs

Öz

Objective: This study aims to examine nurses' compliance with infection control measures during the assessment of vital signs. Methods: The research was conducted as a descriptive and quantitative study among nurses working in Turkey. According to the 2022 report by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey, the study population consisted of 243.565 nurses, with a sample of 384 nurses included at a 95% confidence level. Data were collected through an online survey between December 3, 2022, and February 28, 2024. The survey consisted of questions evaluating the sociodemographic characteristics of the nurses and their attitudes towards infection control measures. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software. Results:The average age of the participants is 32.7±7.79, and the average years of experience in the profession is 10.45±8.19. The majority of the nurses are women (71.3%) and hold a bachelor's degree (70.8%). The compliance rate with hand hygiene among nurses is98.9% after removing gloves, but it drops to 32.2% before wearing gloves. The percentage of those who believe gloves should be worn when measuring blood pressure is 18.7%, while 93.4% stated that gloves should be changed for each patient. Conclusion:This study reveals varying attitudes and behaviors among nurses towards infection control measures. While there is strong adherence to post-procedure hand hygiene and glove changing protocols, significant gaps exist in pre-gloving hand hygiene and consistent disinfection of non-critical medical devices.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Infection control
• vital signs
• disinfection
• nursing

Nurses' Compliance with Infection Control Measures in the Evaluation of Vital Signs

Öz

Objective:This study aims to examine nurses' compliance with infection control measures during the assessment of vital signs. Methods:The research was conducted as a descriptive and quantitative study among nurses working in Turkey. According to the 2022 report by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey, the study population consisted of 243.565 nurses, with a sample of 384 nurses included at a 95% confidence level. Data were collected through an online survey between December 3, 2022, and February 28, 2024. The survey consisted of questions evaluating the sociodemographic characteristics of the nurses and their attitudes towards infection control measures. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software. Results:The average age of the participants is 32.7±7.79, and the average years of experience in the profession is 10.45±8.19. The majority of the nurses are women (71.3%) and hold a bachelor's degree (70.8%). The compliance rate with hand hygiene among nurses is98.9% after removing gloves, but it drops to 32.2% before wearing gloves. The percentage of those who believe gloves should be worn when measuring blood pressure is 18.7%, while 93.4% stated that gloves should be changed for each patient. Conclusion:This study reveals varying attitudes and behaviors among nurses towards infection control measures. While there is strong adherence to post-procedure hand hygiene and glove changing protocols, significant gaps exist in pre-gloving hand hygiene and consistent disinfection of non-critical medical devices

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Infection control
• vital signs
• disinfection
• nursing

Kaynakça

1. Alhmidi, H., Koganti, S., Cadnum, J. L., Jencson, A. L., John, A., & Donskey, C. J. (2017). Dissemination of a nonpathogenic viral DNA surrogate marker from high-touch surfaces in rooms of long-term care facility residents. Am J Infect Control, 45, 1165-1167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2017.04.007
2. AlThubaity, D. D., & Mahdy Shalby, A. Y. (2023). Perception of health teams on the implementation of strategies to decrease nursing errors and enhance patient safety. J Multidiscip Healthc, 693-706. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S401966#d1e147 Benner, P. (2001). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice (Commemorative ed.). London: Prentice-Hall International.
3. Birlie, T. A., Amare, A. T., Tassew, S. F., Emiru, T. D., Feleke, D. G., & Chanie, E. S. (2021). Nurses’ cleaning practice of non-critical medical equipment in the era of COVID 19: A cross-sectional study in Debre-Tabor comprehensive specialized hospital. Heliyon,7(7). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07626
4. Carling, P. C., Parry, M. F., Bruno-Murtha, L. A., & Dick, B. (2010). Improving environmental hygiene in 27 intensive care units to decrease multidrug-resistant bacterial transmission. Critical Care Medicine, 38(4), 1054-1059. https://doi.org/10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181cdf705
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Guideline for disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-and-sterilization/index.html
6. Çelik, B., İbrahimoğlu, Ö., & Mersin, S. (2020). Sağlık profesyonellerinde tükenmişliğin sağlık hizmeti ilişkili enfeksiyonlar üzerine etkisi. Türkiye Sağlık Bilimleri ve Araştırmaları Dergisi, 3(1), 61-68.
7. Debela, S. A., Tefera, Y. M., Endeshaw, M., Daba, C., Debela, E. A., Luke, A. O., ... & Gebrehiwot, M. (2024). Personal protective equipment utilization and its association with educational status among industry workers in Ethiopia: A systematic review andmeta-analysis protocol. Plos one, 19(4), e0299957. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299957Dezenfeksiyon Antisepsi Sterilizasyon Derneği. (2019). Dezenfeksiyon Antisepsi Sterilizasyon Rehberi. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.das.org.tr/kitaplar/DASRehber2019V10.pdf
8. Jeyakumari, D., Nagajothi, S., Kumar, P., Ilayaperumal, G., & Vigneshwaran, S. (2017). Bacterial colonization of stethoscope used in the tertiary care teaching hospital: a potential source of nosocomial infection. Int J Res Med Sci, 5(1), 142-145.

9. Kaya, U., & Güvenir, M. (2020). El yıkama, eldiven kullanımı ve dirençli bakteri enfeksiyonlarının önlenmesi. Arşiv Kaynak Tarama Dergisi, 29(4), 303-308. https://doi.org/10.17827/aktd.855738
10. Mahdizadeh, S. M., Sany, S. B. T., Sarpooshi, D. R., Jafari, A., & Mahdizadeh, M. (2021). Predictors of preventive behavior of nosocomial infections in nursing staff: A structural equation model based on the social cognitive theory. BMC Health Services Research, 21, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07205-6
11. Parmeggiani, C., Abbate, R., Marinelli, P., & Angelillo, I. F. (2010). Healthcare workers and health care-associated infections: knowledge, attitudes, and behavior in emergency departments in Italy. BMC infectious diseases,10, 1-9. Phan, L. T., Maita, D., Mortiz, D. C., Bleasdale, S. C., & Jones, R. M. (2019). Environmental contact and self-contact patterns of healthcare workers: Implications for infection prevention and control. Clin Infect Dis, 69(3), 178-184. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciz558
12. Polat, Z. M., Altındiş, M., Aslan, F. G., İnci, M. B., Kılıç, Ü., Demiray, T., ... & Çıkrıklar, H. İ. (2018). Ambulans kaynaklı enfeksiyonlar ve hijyen. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 9(2), 6-12. https://doi.org/10.22312/sdusbed.411379
13. Russell, D., Dowding, D. W., McDonald, M. V., Adams, V., Rosati, R. J., Larson, E. L., & Shang, J. (2018). Factors for compliance with infection control practices in home healthcare: findings from a survey of nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward infection control. Am J Infect Control, 46(11), 1211-1217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2018.05.005
14. Saleh, H. N., Kavosi, A., Pakdel, M., Yousefi, M., Asghari, F. B., & Mohammadi, A. A. (2018). Assessment health status of ICU medical equipment levels at Neyshabur hospitals using ICNA and ACC indices. MethodsX, 5, 1364-1372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2018.10.016
15. Tyagi, M., Hanson, C., Schellenberg, J., Chamarty, S., & Singh, S. (2018). Hand hygiene in hospitals: An observational study in hospitals from two southern states of India. BMC Public Health, 18, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6219-6
16. Uoda, B., & Ali, A. (2019). Knowledge, attitudes and practices for dialysis nursing staff regarding personal protection means from hospital acquired in Mousl hospital. Mosul Journal of Nursing(Print ISSN: 2311-8784 Online ISSN: 2663-0311), 7(2), 92-99. https://doi.org/10.33899/mjn.2019.163661
17. Venkatesan, K. D., Chander, S., & Victor, K. (2019). Stethoscopes: a potential source of hospital acquired infection. Int. J. Adv. Med, 6(4), 1322-1325. http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2349-3933.ijam20193294
18. Weldegebreal, F., Admassu, D., Meaza, D., & Asfaw, M. (2019). Non-critical healthcare tools as a potential source of healthcare-acquired bacterial infections in eastern Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study. SAGE Open Med.7, 2050312118822627. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312118822627
19. Wolle, D., & Isacson, E. (2023). A descriptive qualitative empirical study describing how basic hand hygiene is conducted in Lesotho as well as the healthcare staffs’ thoughts on it. J Multidiscip Healthc, 1-36.
20. Yang, Q., Wang, X., Zhou, Q., Tan, L., Zhang, X., & Lai, X. (2021). Healthcare workers’ behaviors on infection prevention and control and their determinants during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study based on the theoretical domains framework inWuhan, China. Arch Public Health, 79(1), 118. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-021-00641-0
21. Yenigün, M. Y., & Arslan, S. (2021). Hastanede çalışan hemşirelerin izolasyon önlemlerine uyumu. Sağlık ve Toplum, 31(3), 137-145. https://doi.org/10.22312-sdusbed.411379-541210