Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Education on Methods to Prevent Hospital-Acquired Infections Among Nursing Students: A Comparative Descriptive Study

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of education on prevention of healthcare-associated infections on nursing students’ attitudes toward infection control measures. Methods: This study was designed as a randomized controlled experimental study. The sample consisted of 80 nursing students studying at the Faculty of Health Sciences of Bartın University in the 2024–2025 academic year. Participants were assigned to intervention and control groups using block randomization. The intervention group received training on infection control measures, while no intervention was applied to the control group. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Form and the Infection Control Measures Attitude Scale. Independent samples t-test and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results: The mean total score of the Infection Control Measures Attitude Scale was 193.10±29.09 in the intervention group and 184.45±40.16 in the control group. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups in terms of total scores and sub-dimensions (p>0.05). Conclusion: The education provided to nursing students did not lead to a significant change in attitude levels in the short term. However, continuous and practice-based educational programs are recommended to achieve sustainable attitude and behavior change.