Nurses' Attitudes and Practices about Infection Control Methods at Specialized Hospitals

Nosocomial or healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are infections that patients acquire during treatment in healthcare facilities, which were not present at the time of admission. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses regarding infection control measures at Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Akure. A descriptive research design was adopted, and the study population comprised all nurses in the hospital. Using stratified and purposive sampling techniques, 109 nurses were selected. Data were collected through a self-designed questionnaire titled “Nurses’ Attitudes and Practices about Infection Control Methods at Specialized Hospitals”, which had a reliability coefficient of 0.73 after a test-retest procedure. Inferential statistics, including the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), were used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed a significant relationship between nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards infection control (r = 0.513), and significant correlations between knowledge and practices (r = 0.599), and attitudes and practices (r = 0.710). The corresponding p-values were also reported: knowledge and attitude (P = 0.606), knowledge and practices (P = 0.234), and attitude and practices (P = 0.000). The calculated correlation coefficients exceeded the critical r-value of 0.116 at the 0.05 level of significance, suggesting strong associations among the variables. The study concludes that nurses’ infection control knowledge, attitudes, and practices are interrelated, and strengthening these components is essential for reducing HCAIs in healthcare settings Keywords: Nurse Attitude, Nosocomial Infection, Hospital, Patient,