Knowledge of Nurses on Prevention of Nosocomial Infections in post-stroke Patients

Abstract

Introduction. Nosocomial infections are associated with daily functioning of a hospital and constitute one of major medical issues. The role and duty of the nurse is to prevent hospital infections in every hospitalized patient, especially in post-stroke patients. Only nursing staff that is educated and aware of their actions is able to minimize the risk of infection and thus reduce the suffering of the patient.
Aim. The purpose of the paper was to assess, quantitatively, nurses’ knowledge about nosocomial infections and the procedures used most often in post-stroke patients.
Material and Methods. The research was conducted in a group of 80 nurses working in randomly selected stroke and neurological units in the territory of Silesia province. The research used diagnostic poll method and research tool was a questionnaire developed based on the literature.
Results. Analysis of the research material allowed concluding that investigated nurses have insufficient knowledge about the prevention of nosocomial infections and the procedures used most often in post-stroke patients. Knowledge of the surveyed nurses depends on education, age and seniority.
Conclusions. The results of our tests are not satisfactory and allowed to formulate following conclusions:
1. The nurses surveyed have insufficient knowledge on how to prevent nosocomial infections. Nurses do not know sufficiently basic procedures used at neurological wards, such as degumming the patient’s airway and also bladder catheterization.
2. Self-assessment of nurses’ knowledge is much higher than proved in the study performed.
3. The knowledge of the nurses surveyed depends mainly on age, seniority and education. The research showed that nurses with shorter seniority and younger have broader knowledge regarding prevention of nosocomial infections, they more often know the definition of nosocomial infection and more frequently use protective clothes and apply the procedure of washing hands than their older colleagues do. (JNNN 2014;3(2):58–63)