Abstract:

This study assesses the knowledge & attitudes of nurses regarding standard precautions about health care associated infections (HAIs) among the different hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. Exposure to the body fluids and blood is the main sources for HAIs to the patients. Health care associated infection is a critical issue in the health care facilities because it causes mortality and infection among the hospitalized patients and health care workers. The World Health organization reported that ninety percent of infections among health care workers (HCWs) are associated with the occupational exposure to the body fluids and blood in the developing countries (Wilburn, et al., 2013). Standard precautions are used to provide the protection to health care providers from damages and to stop spread of nosocomial infection. Standard precautions recommend the proper hand hygiene before and after the procedure while contact with the patients (Boyce, et al., 2013).

The current study is of quantitative and cross-sectional design. Target population of the current study was 600 nursing staff of two hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan in which one is public hospital and other one is private hospital. The sample size of the current study was 172 which were calculated by using Slovin’s formula. SPSS 20 was used for the data analysis.

The current study result shows that nurses have adequate knowledge regarding standard precautions of HAIs but lack the intention about precautions of HAIs. Thus, it is concluded that low level attitude of nursing staff regarding standards precautions about HAIs was assessed which cause infections to the health care providers and patients.

Keywords: Knowledge, Attitudes, Nurses, Standard precautions and Healthcare associated infections (HAIs).

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