Abstract:

Background: Compliance to infection prevention and control is a major problem worldwide in Health Care Facilities and especially in developing countries, putting patients at higher risk of Health Care Associated Infections, imposing avoidable suffering, longer hospital stay, disability and death on patients; increasing extra costs on healthcare system and wider economy. Health Care Associated Infections in developing countries including St. Dominic’s mission Hospital in Zambia are at an increase.

Main objective: To assess factors affecting compliance to infection prevention and control guidelines by nurses at St. Dominic’s Mission Hospital, Zambia.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to elicit factors affecting compliance to Infection Prevention and Control guidelines. Data collected by self-structured questionnaire of both closed and open ended questions. Purposeful sample of 30 nurses participated.

Results: 30 nurses participated: 19 females and 11males; aged 21 to 50 years. Majority (82%) diploma Holders, did registered nursing. Findings revealed that (42.2%) had knowledge on use of red containers, (68.5%) used yellow containers correctly. (39.3%) indicated inadequate knowledge, concerning Infection Prevention and Control. Participants’ general information about Infection Prevention and Control guidelines availability, who was supposed to comply and when, was adequate and 99% valued the importance of Infection Prevention and Control guidelines. Factors affecting Infection Prevention and Control compliance were: Inadequate materials and equipment (76.6%), workload (47.9 %), shortage of staff and negative attitude 38.3%. Others were: Overcrowding 33%, inadequate knowledge and finance 16%, also lack of supervision and inadequate departmental meetings on Infection Prevention and Control.

Conclusion and recommendation: Despite participants’ knowledge on Infection Prevention and Control guidelines, compliance needed to be encouraged through supervision and having departmental meetings.

Keywords: Infection, infection control, compliance, health care-associated infections guidelines, health care providers, nurses, St. Dominic Mission Hospital, factors affecting.

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