Effect of An Educational Program on Improving Nurses Performance Regarding Infection Prevention and Control in Chest Disease Wards

Background: According to the WHO, infection prevention and control (IPC) is a realistic, evidence-based strategy that protects patients and healthcare professionals against preventable infections and the effects of antibiotic resistance. Numerous infection control strategies are straightforward and inexpensive, but they also call for worker responsibility, behavioral modification, and better staff education. This study aims: To determine the effect of implementing an educational program on improving nurses’ performance regarding infection prevention and control in chest disease wards. Setting: Chest diseases department of Alexandria Main University Hospital. Design: A quasi-experimental one-group, pre and post-test intervention design. Subject: all nurses (37) who are involved in providing direct nursing care for these patients in the above-mentioned setting. Three tools were used for data collection: Tool I:" Nurses' Knowledge Regarding Infection Prevention and Control Measures: ' A structured Interview ''. Tool II: 'Nurses' practices observational checklist regarding infection control measures among patients in the chest diseases department’. Tool III:" Nurses' Satisfaction to the Educational Program and Satisfaction Questionnaire’. Results: This study illustrated that there was no statistical difference as regards nurses' overall knowledge regarding infection prevention & control pre and post the educational program, on the other hand; there was highly statistical difference as regards nurses' overall performance of infection prevention & control pre and post the educational program. A negative correlation was found between nurses' knowledge and performance of IPC measures. Conclusion: The educational programs created for the chest disease nursing staff have a significant role in enhancing their performance of precautions in dealing with high-risk medical procedures (‘Aerosol-generating procedures’), standard precautions to minimize the possibility of exposure to pathogens while collection and handling of laboratory specimens from patients with ARIs, care, cleaning, disinfection of respiratory devices and infection prevention at chest tube insertion site.