Factors affecting compliance with standard precautions among nursing and allied health staff at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi
Date of Award
2011
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Nursing (MScN)
Department
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan
Abstract
Standard precautions have been promoted widely to protect patients and health care workers from health care associated infections. Partially followed standard precautions, increases the risk of infection transmission. The aim of this study was to measure the level of Compliance with Standard Precautions (CWSP) and to explore the factors associated with CWSP among nursing and allied health staff at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. Methods: Following a gross-sectional study design, 279 nursing and allied health staff, including nurses, midwives, technicians, and nursing assistants from the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, participated in this study' The data were collected using the Health care worker's Questionnaire (Gershon et al., 1995; Kermode et a1., 2005). Results: The overall compliance rate with standard precautions at AKUH was 44.1%'. However, variations were found from unit to unit; the Coronary Care Unit had the highest (90%) and Surgical Units had the lowest rate (30.8%). Variations were also found among different components of the standard precautions as well as for various items within specific components. With regard to the factors affecting CWSP, safety climate, co-workers' support, knowledge about blood borne virus transmission and standard precautions were positively associated with the staff’s compliance; whereas, workplace stress and risk taking behavior were negatively associated with the staff s compliance. Implications These findings imply that decreased workplace stressors, a supportive work environment, promoting a safety climate, enhanced knowledge, and increased commitment of staff towards standard precautions are the key factors to improve individuals' CWSP.
Recommended Citation
Farid, F. N. (2011). Factors affecting compliance with standard precautions among nursing and allied health staff at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.