Compliance with standard precautions by nursing professionals and related factors

Pereira, Vitória Helena; Torres, Leticia Nunes; Rodrigues, Nathália Montanher; Monteiro, Damiana Aparecida Trindade; Moraes, Juliano Teixeira; Pereira-Ávila, Fernanda Maria Vieira; Santos, Mariana Alvina dos; Gir, Elucir; Malaguti-Toffano, Silmara Elaine

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Sumário

RESEARCH • Esc. Anna. Nery 25 (3) • 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2177-9465-EAN-2020-0193 copy

Compliance with standard precautions by nursing professionals and related factors

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Objective

To verify compliance with the Standard Precautions by nursing professionals and associated factors.

Method

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out with 522 nursing professionals, in two Brazilian hospitals, between January 2017 and March 2018. Data were collected using a form containing demographic and professional variables and the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale (Portuguese-Brazilian version); later, analyzed by descriptive and exploratory statistics and a multiple linear regression model.

Results

The global mean score was 12.9 (SD = 2.5). Nursing professionals had statistically significant higher scores (p <0.01) than nurses. There was a significant difference in terms of professional category (p < 0.01)) and education (p <0.01), and marginally significant in relation to age (p = 0.06). There were no differences regarding professional experience (p = 077), participation in training (p = 0.79), and type of hospital (p = 0.13), respectively. Education did not contribute to greater compliance with the measures (p <0.01), nor did higher education (p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusion and implications for practice

Increased education and professional experience did not contribute to greater compliance with the Standards Precautions. By considering aspects of nursing practice, occupational exposure prevention strategies can be reviewed and improved.

Keywords:
Infection control; Universal Precautions; Nursing, Team; Occupational Exposure; Communicable Diseases

Items of the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale	Nurse				Nursing technicians
	Yes		No		Yes		No
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
1. I wash my hands between patient contacts.	155	100	-	-	367	100	-	-
2. I only use water for hand washing.	141	91.0	14	9.0	325	88.6	42	11.4
3. I use alcoholic hand rubs as an alternative if my hands are not visibly soiled.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
4. I recap used needles after giving an injection.	149	96.1	06	3.9	351	95.6	16	4.4
5. I put used sharp articles into sharps boxes.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
6. The sharps box is disposed only when it is full.	89	57.4	66	42.6	193	52.6	174	47.4
7. I remove Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in a designated area.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
8. I take a shower in case of extensive splashing even after I have put on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
9. I cover my wound(s) or lesion(s) with waterproof dressing before patient contacts.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
10. I wear gloves when I am exposed to body fluids, blood products, and any excretion of patients.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
11. I change gloves between patient contacts.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
12. I decontaminate my hands immediately after removal of gloves.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
13. I wear a surgical mask alone or in combination with goggles, face shield and apron whenever there is a possibility of a splash or splatter.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
14. My mouth and nose are covered when I wear a mask.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
15. I reuse a surgical mask or disposable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).	138	89.0	17	11.0	318	86.6	49	13.4
16. I wear a gown or apron when exposed to blood, body fluids or any patient excretions.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
17. Waste contaminated with blood, body fluids, secretion and excretion is placed in red plastic bags irrespective of the patient’s infection status.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
18. I decontaminate surfaces and equipment after use.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
19. I wear gloves to decontaminate used equipment with visible soils.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100
20. I clean up spillage of blood or other body fluids immediately with disinfectants.	-	-	155	100	-	-	367	100

Variable	n (%)	Average scores	Standard deviation	P
Gender
Female	422 (80.8)	12.7	2.42	0.19^* * Chi-square test
Male	100 (19.2)	13.1	2.63	0.19^* * Chi-square test
Category
Nurse	155 (29.6)	12.3	2.53	< 0.01*
Nursing technicians	367 (70.3)	13.0	2.39	< 0.01*
Hospital
Public	399 (76.4)	12.9	2.51	0.13*
Philanthropic	123 (23.5)	12.6	2.26	0.13*
Work Sector
High Complexity	288 (55.1)	12.8	2.48	0.75*
Wards	222 (44.9)	12.8	2.43	0.75*
Participation in Training on Standard Precautions
Yes	394 (75.4%)	12.8	2.48	0.64*
No	128 (24.5%)	12.9	2.41	0.64*

Variable	B	Standard Error	β	t	Confidence Interval (CI) 95%		P
Variable	B	Standard Error	β	t	Minimum	Maximum	P
Professional Category	.063	.241	0.11	0.26	0.14	1.03	≤ 0.01
Age^* * Missing data 5.3% (n = 494);	.590	.225	0.11	2.62	-0.00	0.05	0.06
Education^ Missing data 0.1% (n = 521);	.029	.016	−0.18	1.83	−0.64	−0.23	≤ 0.01
Hospital	-.442	.104	−0.01	−4.23	−0.55	0.43	0.80
Professional experience (in years)^* ***** Missing data 0.1% (n = 521)	-.005	.018	−0.01	−0.24	−0.04	0.03	0.77
Standard Precautions Training	-.062	.252	0.01	−0.28	−0.41	0.53	0.79

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[1] Corresponding author: Silmara Elaine Malaguti-Toffano. E-mail: silmalaguti@yahoo.com.br.