Abstract:
Background: Infection in healthcare facilities is a major public health problem in most developing countries like Ethiopia. Health care associated infections place a significant economic burden on the health care system. There is high prevalence of blood borne disease in health care professionals specially nurses associated with poor practice of infection prevention. Infection prevention and control practices are paramount to minimize health care associated infections.
Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess infection prevention practice and associated factors among nurses in public health facilities of kirkos sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: Institutional based cross sectional study was conducted. The study participants were 423 nurses addressed from selected six health facilities. The sample size was assigned to each health facility proportional to their number of nurses and study participants were selected by simple random sampling technique. Data was collected using Self-administered English version structured questionnaire and observation checklist. Collected data was checked, coded and entered into EPI-Info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. The relationship was tested using p value < 0.05 as a significant association
Result: The study shows, 53% nurses had safe practice (95% CI (48.2%, 58%)) and 47% had unsafe practice (95% CI (42%, 51.8%)) toward infection prevention practice. Age [AOR=0.256, 95% CI (0.81, 0.809)], work experience [AOR=3.588, 95% CI (1.088, 11.836)], knowledge on IP [AOR= 2.702, 95% CI (1.623, 4.497)], attitude toward IP [AOR= 2.574, 95% CI (1.602, 4.138)] and availability of IP guideline [AOR =2.051, 95% CI (1.270, 3.310)] were found to be significantly associated with infection prevention practice.
Conclusion & recommendation: Nearly half of nurses had unsafe practice on infection prevention. Age, work experience, knowledge on IP, attitude toward IP and availability of IP guideline were factors which were significantly associated with infection prevention practice. The health facilities should integrate infection Prevention guideline with routine works.
.......................................... Thesis available at ACIPH Library