Abstract
Background: Health personnel especially nurses are at high risk of various occupational acquisition of infections such as blood-borne infections, body fluids and contaminated medical equipment. Health personnel may transmit the acquired infections to clients, colleagues and other people they come in contact with. Infection control reduces the risk of transmission of infections among clients, clients to nurses or other health personnel and vice versa. Literature reveals that nurses’ knowledge and attention to infection control in Primary Health Centres (PHC) in Nigeria is very limited. This study was therefore designed to assess the nurses’ knowledge and practice of infection control in PHC in Delta State, Nigeria.
Method: Cross-sectional design was utilised and target population were the nurses working in PHC in Delta State. Using Slovan’s sampling formula; a sample size of 231 nurses was obtained from the randomly selected 17 out of the 25 local government areas in Delta State. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Items on knowledge have Yes/No responses while items on practice have Always, Sometimes, Not at all and not applicable responses. Data were analysed and hypothesis tested with Chi square test at significant level of p<0.05.
Results: Findings revealed that nurses in the study setting had good knowledge of infection control, but not fully reflected in the level of their practice of infection control. Majority of them knew that the following precautions could prevent infection: cleaning/covering of sores with waterproof plaster (96.1%), washing of hands with soap and water (97.8%), wearing of gloves (99.1) and disinfecting re-usable instruments (95.2%). In practice, the percentage was below average in the use of hand gloves(47.6%), disinfection of re-usable instrument(45.9%), use of face mask (17.7%), use of eyeshield (7.0%).There was relationship between the years of working experience and practice of infection control (p<0.05).
Conclusion: This study reveals that the practice of universal precaution is not given much attention in the PHC and this may constitute health risk to the nurses and the patients in the study setting. It is essential that activities that will encourage the practice of infection control should be put in place in PHC to prevent transmission of infection.
Keywords: Health personnel, Primary Health Centres, infection control, practice of universal precaution, Nurses’ knowledge, Years of experience.
Résumé
Introduction: Les agents de santé, spécialement les infirmier(e)s, sont à divers grand risque d’acquisition occupationnelle des infections telle que les infections à voie sanguine, fluides corporelle et équipement médical contaminé. Les agents de santé peuvent transmettre les infections acquises aux clients, collègues et autre personnes ils viennent en contact avec. Le control d’infection réduit le haut risque de transmission des infections parmi les clients, clients aux infirmier(e)s ou autre agents de santé et vice versa. La littérature révèle que le savoir et attention des infirmier(e)s vis-à-vis du control d’infection dans les Centres Primaire de Santé (CPS) au Nigeria est très limité. Cette étude était par conséquent désignée pour répartir le savoir et pratique du control d’infection dans les CPS de l’état de Delta, Nigéria.
Méthode: Un dessin de cross-section était utilisé et la population de cible était les infirmier(e)s travaillant dans les CPS de l’état de Delta. En utilisant la formule d’échantillonnage de Slovan ; un échantillon de 231 infirmier(e)s était obtenu par une sélection au hasard de 17 parmi 25 gouvernement locaux (communes) de l’état de Delta. Un questionnaire structuré administré par soi-même était utilisé pour la collection des données. Les items sur le savoir ont des réponses Oui/Non tandis que les items sur les pratiques ont des réponses telles que Toujours, Souvent, Pas du tout et Pas applicable. Les données étaient analysées et les hypothèses testées avec le test de Chi square a un niveau significatif de p<0,05.
Résultat : Les découvertes révélaient que les infirmier(e)s dans l’établissement d’étude avaient bon savoir du control d’infection, mais ne reflète pas complètement dans le niveau de leurs pratiques du control d’infection. La majorité d’eux savait que les précautions suivantes pouvaient prévenir une infection : nettoyage/couvrement des blessures avec des emplâtres imperméables (96,1%), lavage des mains avec l’eau et du savon (97,8%), l’usage des gants (99,1%), la désinfection d’instrument a utilisation nouvelle (45,9%), l’usage de masque de visage (17,7%), l’usage de bouclier des yeux (7,0%). Il y avait une relation entre les années d’expérience de travaille et la pratique du control d’infection (p<0,05).
Conclusion: Cette étude révèle que la pratique de précaution universelle n’est pas donnée beaucoup d’attention dans les CPS et ceci peu constitué risque de santé aux infirmier(e)s et patients dans l’établissement d’étude. Il est essentiel que les activités qui encouragerons la pratique du control d’infection soient mise en place dans les CPS pour prévenir la transmission d’infection.
Mots clés: Agent de santé, Centres Primaire de Santé, control d’infection, pratique universelle de précaution, savoir des infirmier(e)s, années d’expérience.
Correspondence: Dr. F.A. Okanlawon, Department of Nursing, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. E-mail: funmilayookanlawon@yahoo.com
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