Northampton Electronic Collection of Theses and Research

Infection prevention and control: how does experience affect knowledge and application of practice?

Slyne, H., Phillips, C. A. and Parkes, J. (2012) Infection prevention and control: how does experience affect knowledge and application of practice? Journal of Infection Prevention. 13(3), pp. 92-96. 1757-1774.

Item Type: Article
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate nurses’ knowledge of infection prevention procedures, the degree to which they were applied correctly, and whether length of service affected either knowledge or application. Nurses with over five years of experience had significantly increased understanding of infection prevention (p=0.009) and significantly increased application of knowledge to practice (p=0.001), compared to nurses with five years or less experience. In particular, understanding of hand hygiene and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was poor although application was compliant, while knowledge of care of patients with meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile was poor, which was reflected by substandard application of knowledge to practice. The results of this study suggest that focusing infection prevention education around patients with specific infections, such as MRSA and C. difficile, rather than on individual standard precautions may more effectively increase knowledge and therefore application of infection prevention practices
Uncontrolled Keywords: Education, knowledge, experience, infection prevention and control
Subjects: R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA960 Medical centers. Hospitals. Dispensaries. Clinics > RA969 Infection control
R Medicine > RT Nursing
R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Creators: Slyne, Holly, Phillips, Carol A and Parkes, Jackie
Publisher: Sage Publications
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Health & Society
Date: May 2012
Date Type: Publication
Page Range: pp. 92-96
Journal or Publication Title: Journal of Infection Prevention
Volume: 13
Number: 3
Language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1757177412446855
ISSN: 1757-1774
Status: Published / Disseminated
Refereed: Yes
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/4384

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