Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Perceived Barriers of Infection Control Measures in the Intensive Care Units at Northwest Bank Hospitals

Abstract

The foremost challenge encountered by patients in intensive care units is nosocomial infections impacting their prognosis. Nurses play a vital role in infection control, necessitating adequate knowledge and adherence to protocols. Therefore, the study aims to assess nurses’ knowledge, attitude, practice, and perceived barriers of infection control measures in the Intensive care units at the Northwest Bank Hospitals. The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional and observational design, utilizing a self-administration questionnaire and checklist distributed among 115 ICU nurse working in governmental hospitals in the Northwest Bank. The study revealed that the majority of nurses demonstrated a moderate to low knowledge level. However, 63.5% exhibited a positive attitude toward infection control measures, and 72.9% demonstrated good practice levels. Among the sociodemographic determinants, gender was the only significant factor in relation to practice, where male nurses demonstrated better practices than female nurses (P < .05). Nursing staff identified several barriers to achieving infection standards, including lack of equipment, inadequate training courses on infection control, challenges posed by visitors, absence of infection control policies and standards, insufficient isolation rooms, and heavy workload. The majority of nurses displayed good practice levels and positive attitudes toward infection prevention. Additionally, male nurses practiced infection control measures significantly more effectively than female nurses. The major barriers were lack of equipment, lack of training courses, and challenges related to visitors. Addressing these barriers is essential to improving infection control measures in critical care units.