Determinants of Nurses’ Compliance with Infection Control Protocols in NICUs: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iraq

Objective: The study aims to assess nurses' level of compliance and the factors influencing their adherence to infection control precautions in neonatal intensive care units. Methods and Materials: A Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in NICUs at specialist pediatric hospitals in Babylon Province. The study involved 150 nurses, sampled using a non-probability, convenience sampling process, and the data were collected through a self-report questionnaire reviewed by experts. A pilot study tested its reliability. Data analysis used both descriptive and inferential statistical methods with SPSS. Findings: The findings revealed that the majority of nurses demonstrated a moderate level of compliance with infection control protocol. Both individual and organizational factors had a negative impact on nurses' compliance, and a significant association was found between these factors and nurses' age, sex, experience in the profession, and period of working in NICUs. A negative correlation was found between nurses’ compliance and factors influencing their adherence to infection control precautions. Conclusion: Overall, nurses' compliance regarding infection control was moderate. Younger female nurses worked the morning shift, with experience in the nursing profession of more than 5 years, and attended more training courses in infection control, demonstrating a higher compliance rate. Factors influencing nurses' compliance had a detrimental impact on their adherence to infection control protocols, with a significant effect on older female nurses with 6-10 years of experience in the NICU and limited overall experience in the nursing profession.