Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a worldwide problem today. They are among the leading causes of death and cause significant morbidity among patients who receive health care. Prevention of nosocomial infections is the responsibility of all individuals and services providing health care.
Objective: To assess the current knowledge regarding HAIs among nursing staff of Pravara Rural Hospital, Loni, Maharashtra, India.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2012 among 100 nursing staff of Pravara Rural Hospital, Loni, Maharashtra. A predesigned questionnaire that assessed knowledge about HAIs was the tool of data collection. Results were analyzed in the form of percentage and proportions whenever appropriate.
Result: In this study, all 100 nurses had heard about HAIs. Majority (73%) of nurses knew that respiratory and urinary tract infections were the two most common HAIs. Nearly 38% nurses did not know about the barrier nursing plays a role in preventing HAIs or not.
Conclusion: In this study, the level of knowledge regarding HAIs among nursing staff was inadequate. Considering the important role of nurses in HAIs, there is an imperative need for health education to improve the knowledge of the nurses toward HAIs.
Key words: Knowledge, hospital acquired infections, nursing staff, rural India
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