The Practice of Standard Precautions During COVID-19 Pandemic among Professional Healthcare Workers

This study aimed to evaluate the adherence to standard precautions among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was utilised with a sample size of 196. Data was collected through self-structured questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 26 and Excel. The study found that most healthcare professionals implemented standard precaution measures during the pandemic. Doctors consistently practised hand hygiene (53, 100%) but only occasionally wore hand gloves. Most nurses adhered to hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (45, 70.3%), while the Medical laboratory scientists predominantly wore hand gloves (43, 100%). Healthcare professionals in COVID-19 centres consistently utilised personal protective equipment and hand gloves and adhered to safe injection practices. Most study participants think that the most effective means of promoting compliance with standard precaution measures include ensuring the availability of personal protective equipment, organising conferences and seminars on standard precaution measures and making the guidelines accessible to all health professionals. They believe these measures would be more effective than penalising those who do not comply with standard precautions or making standard precautions obligatory. Key recommendations include maintaining a consistent supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and implementing a monitoring system to enhance healthcare professionals’ adherence to standard precautions. Regular training sessions, including workshops and continuing professional development, should reinforce infection prevention practices. Institutional policies should reward compliance rather than impose penalties. Guidelines should be easily accessible in multiple formats. A compliance monitoring framework with audits and feedback is essential, alongside encouraging professionals to report barriers to adherence. These steps will foster a safer environment for practitioners and patients alike.