TITLE:
Assessment of Nurses’ Knowledge in the Implementation of the Principles of Asepsis in the Hospital Environment
AUTHORS:
Emmanuel Gasaba, Vestine Niyonkuru, Le Béni Bugingo, Thomas Zimurinda, Fabien Bimenyimana, Jean Népomuscène Ntirabampa, Marguerite Ndikumana, Bosco Ntiranyibagira, Eric Manirambona, Nathanaël Sindayigaya
KEYWORDS:
Asepsis, Principles of Asepsis, Nurses, Knowledge
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.12 No.12,
December
29,
2022
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Aseptic procedures are undertaken by nurses in the general ward. The lack of nurse’s aseptic techniques in clinical setting result to patients or healthcare expositions to hospital-acquired infections which are most of the time caused by lack of knowledge or ignorance of implementing the principles of aseptic technique. This study aims to assess nurses’ knowledge and the possible barriers in the implementation of the principles of asepsis in healthcare setting. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the nurses’ knowledge and the possible barriers for implementing principles of asepsis in healthcare setting among. The study was carried out at Clinique Van Norm (CVN), a free Methodist Church related institution located in the north District of Bujumbura city in Burundi, from October to November, 2021 among nurses who work within three services of the clinic (Gynecology and Obstetrics, Pediatric and Operating room). A convenience sampling method was used to invite all nurses (44) working in the 3 services of CVN to participate in our study. A self-report method involving questionnaire completion with three components addressing demographic data, participants’ knowledge and barriers to implement the principles of asepsis was used to collect data which were later on analyzed by SPSS version 21. Results: Research findings show a significant participant’s poor knowledge on principles of asepsis in the hospital as for almost variables used to assess their knowledge, they scored less than 50% except for the time of using sterile gloves in which most of the participants (71.4%) said that they do use sterile gloves when indwelling urinary catheters, labor and delivery, newborn care, wound dressing or suturing, or any time handling aseptic equipment, inserting nasogastric feeding tube... In addition, participants argued that they know the principles of asepsis (57.1%), however, only 14.3% of them were able to list at least 5 of the principles of asepsis. Finally, all our participants (100%) confirmed that there are no infection control programs in their hospital, neither an infection control protocol in their service which was evident as none of them wasn’t familiar with the contents of infection control protocol. Financial constraints, workload, lack of materials and ignorance of nurses were the most barriers to implement principles of asepsis in their service. Conclusion: This study shows a poor knowledge among nurses at CVN regarding the implementation of the principles of asepsis. Financial constraints, workload, lack of materials and ignorance of nurses were the most barriers that hinder the implementation of principles of asepsis in their service. Continuing professional development program and curriculum revision were highly recommended to overcome this problem.