AWARENESS REGARDING ANTIBIOTIC USES, RESISTANCE AND PREVENTION PRACTICES AMONG NURSES ACROSS DIFFERENT CLINICAL SETTINGS

Background: Antibiotics are essential in treating bacterial infections,butantibiotic resistance (ABR) increasing globally due to over use and misuse of antibiotics. ABR leads to higher mortality rate, harder to treat infection and prolonged hospital stay.As key health worker ,Nurses play a critical role in infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship. This study designed to evalutethe knowledge ofNurses at Liaquat University Hospital (LUH), Hyderabad/Jamshoro, regarding antibiotic, antibiotic resistance, and prevention of ABR. Objective: The objective of this study was evalutethe awarness of Nurses regarding antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and prevention of ABR across different clinical settings at Liaquat University Hospital (LUH), Hyderabad/Jamshoro. Methodology:The research involved a cross-sectional study conducted at LUH. The participants were 67 Nurses working in different settings . A structured questionnaire consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions related to antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and prevention of ABR. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results:67 nurses participate in this study , revealed a generally good understanding of basic antibiotic concepts, with high scores on nosocomial infections (98.5%) and identifying side effects (95.5%). Morever, a significant gapsfound in understanding antibiotic resistance (41.8%) and recognizing overuse as a key contributing factor (55.2%). While participants were aware of key stewardship strategies (88.1%) and infection control practices, areas like side effect identification and resistance mechanisms require further education. Conclusion:The Nurses showed moderate knowledge of antibiotic, ABR, and prevention of ABR. While they understood basic functions and prevention practices, gaps remained in awareness of resistance mechanisms and contributing factors. they need for targeted educational interventions to strengthen understanding and promote effective practices as evidenced by limited knowledge of antibiotic stewardship highlights.