Perceived Barriers to the Effective Implementation of COVID-19 Safety Measures Among Healthcare Workers at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital

Objective COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019 is a contagious disease caused by a new coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic healthcare workers across various sectors have been striving to implement effective safety measures to prevent and control the further spread of the disease. The purpose of the study was to identify the perceived barriers to the effective implementation of COVID-19 safety measures among healthcare workers at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.Methodology The study employed a descriptive design and utilized multistage sampling techniques to select a total of 167 respondents from a population of 325 healthcare workers. Data were collected using a self structured questionnaire with a reliability of 0.857. All 167 questionnaires were completed and returned within the stipulated time frame.Results The findings revealed that 55.1 of healthcare workers were not aware that consistent use of COVID-19 safety measures can reduce the mortality rate. Also 58.7 agreed that poor safety culture among some healthcare workers hinders the effective implementation of these measures. Similarly 58.68 believed that the lack of strict enforcement of WHO regulations hinders effective implementation of COVID-19 safety protocols among health workers. Furthermore 74.8 believed that the use of personal protective equipment PPE would be effective in enhancing safety while 83.2 expressed confidence in the overall effectiveness of PPE in implementing safety measures.Conclusion It is recommended that seminars and workshops be organized for nurses and other healthcare workers to enhance their knowledge on COVID-19 prevention improve their attitudes and practices regarding safety measures and better prepare them for future outbreaks.