Awareness and Performance Level for Healthcare-associated Infection Control among Caregivers at Medium and Small Hospitals

Young Sim Ko; Bohyun Park

doi:10.14192/kjhaicp.2016.21.2.74

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Ko and Park: Awareness and Performance Level for Healthcare-associated Infection Control among Caregivers at Medium and Small Hospitals

Original Article

Korean J Healthc Assoc Infect Control Prev 2016;21(2):74-84.

Published online: 19 December 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14192/kjhaicp.2016.21.2.74

Awareness and Performance Level for Healthcare-associated Infection Control among Caregivers at Medium and Small Hospitals

Young Sim Ko¹, Bohyun Park²

¹Department of Nursing, Mega Hospital, Gimhae, Korea

²Department of Nursing, Changwon National University, Changwon, Korea

Correspondence to: Bohyun Park, Department of Nursing, Changwon National University, 20 Changwondeahak-ro Uichang-gu, Changwon 51140, Korea Tel: 055-213-3575, Fax: 055-213-3579 E-mail: bhpark@changwon.ac.kr

Received 14 March 2016 Revised 21 July 2016 Accepted 10 November 2016

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Background

There is not enough evidence about the level of awareness and performance for healthcare-associated infection control among caregivers working in medium and small hospitals.

Methods

Self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 144 caregivers who worked at nine medium and small hospitals in Gyeongnam Province. The questionnaire comprised a total of 15 items outlining standard precautions.

Results

The subjects who had less than two years of work experience showed significant differences between awareness and performance in three domains: hand washing (F=4.41, P=.006), protective equipment (F=4.18, P=.008), and linen and environment (F=4.74, P=.004). There was a significant difference between awareness and performance among those working 24 hours in the following areas: hand washing (F=4.19, P=.018) and protective equipment (F=7.31, P=.001).

Conclusion

There were significant differences between awareness and performance associated with the importance of infection control, heavy workloads from long working hours, joint caretaking responsibilities, and short careers of less than two years. There is therefore a need to shorten the long working hours of caregivers.

Keywords: Awareness, Caregivers, Infection control, Work performance

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Table 1.

Awareness and performance level for standard precautions by general characteristics

		n	%	Standard precautions
				A	t/F(p)	P	t/F(p)	A-P	t/F(p)
				Mean±SD	t/F(p)	Mean±SD	t/F(p)	Mean±SD	t/F(p)
Age (yr)	41-50	22	18.6	3.88±0.17	0.15 (.864)	3.45±0.32	1.57 (.213)	.43±0.25	1.58 (.210)
	51-60	65	55.1	3.86±0.25		3.31±0.43		.55±0.44
	＞60	31	26.3	3.85±0.21		3.43±0.34		.42±0.32
Education level	≤Middle school	42	35.6	3.81±0.26	−1.62 (.109)	3.36±0.33	−0.19 (.851)	.45±0.36	−0.83 (.408)
Education level	≥High school	76	64.4	3.89±0.21	−1.62 (.109)	3.37±0.43	−0.19 (.851)	.51±0.40	−0.83 (.408)
Career of caregivers (yr)	＜2	20	16.9	3.86±0.27	0.63 (.597)	3.06^b±0.35	7.43 (＜.001)	.80^a±0.37	6.48 (＜.001)
	2-4	34	28.8	3.83±0.23		3.36^a±0.41		.46^b±0.37
	5-9	43	36.4	3.90±0.18		3.52^a±0.34		.37^b±0.34
	≥10	21	17.8	3.85±0.28		3.36^a±0.35		.49^b±0.37
Working hours (hr)	8	72	61.0	3.86±0.23	1.49 (.230)	3.40^a±0.35	8.93 (.001)	.46^b±0.35	5.39 (.006)
	12	26	22.0	3.92±0.12		3.51^a±0.40		.41^b±0.40
	24	20	16.9	3.80±0.29		3.07^b±0.40		.74^a±0.40
Types of caregiving work	Personally employed	14	11.9	3.94±0.08	2.75 (.008)	3.59±0.39	2.28 (.024)	.35±0.37	1.50 (.136)
Types of caregiving work	Jointly employed	104	88.1	3.85±0.24	2.75 (.008)	3.34±0.39	2.28 (.024)	.51±0.39	1.50 (.136)
Education institution for the caregiving work	Caregivers education center	98	83.1	3.88±0.21	1.88 (.072)	3.39±0.40	1.28 (.204)	.49±0.39	0.03 (.979)
Education institution for the caregiving work	Other	20	16.9	3.76±0.28	1.88 (.072)	3.27±0.35	1.28 (.204)	.49±0.37	0.03 (.979)
Affiliated institution	Hospital	18	15.3	3.86±0.21	0.57 (.569)	3.34±0.43	0.13 (.878)	.52±0.34	1.25 (.291)
	Rehabilitation or social enterprise	54	45.8	3.84±0.26		3.41±0.35		.43±0.35
	Private caregivers association	46	39.0	3.89±0.19		3.34±0.43		.55±0.43
Annual number of IC education	0-1	51	43.2	3.83±0.27	1.85 (.161)	3.34±0.43	0.38 (.687)	.49±0.41	0.03 (.972)
	2	37	31.4	3.85±0.20		3.37±0.36		.49±0.38
	≥3	30	25.4	3.93±0.16		3.42±0.37		.51±0.35
Total		118	100	3.86±0.23		3.37±0.39		0.49±0.39

Abbreviations: A, Awareness; P, Performance; A-P, Difference between Awareness and Performance; SD, Standard Deviation; IC, Infection Control.

^a＞b: Duncan’s Multiple Range Test.

Table 2.

Awareness and performance level in each item of four domains

Subdomain	Item	Awareness	Performance	t(p)	A-P Difference
Subdomain	Item	Mean (±SD)	Mean (±SD)	t(p)	Mean (±SD)
Hand washing	1. Wash your hands before touching one patient.	3.76 (±0.65)	2.68 (±0.98)	11.982 (＜.001)	1.09 (±0.98)
	2. Wash your hands after touching one patient.	3.94 (±0.30)	3.49 (±0.70)	7.236 (＜.001)	0.45 (±0.67)
	3. Wash your hands before clean/aseptic procedure.	3.88 (±0.40)	3.27 (±0.86)	7.640 (＜.001)	0.61 (±0.87)
	4. Wash your hands after contacting patient's body fluids and excretions.	3.96 (±0.24)	4.17 (±3.72)	3.613 (＜.001)	−0.21 (±3.71)
	5. Wash your hands after contacting patient's surroundings	3.63 (±0.71)	2.28 (±1.10)	12.116 (＜.001)	1.35 (±1.21)
		3.83 (±0.34)	3.11 (±0.59)	13.407 (＜.001)	0.72 (±0.58)
Protective equipment	6. Wear gloves when in contact with mucous membranes or damaged skin.	3.95 (±0.22)	3.64 (±0.55)	6.239 (＜.001)	0.31 (±0.53)
	7. Wear gloves when you contact blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions.	3.96 (±0.20)	3.96 (±0.40)	0.904 (.368)	0.00 (±0.41)
	9. Wear a gown whenever there is a possibility of exposure to blood or other body fluid.	3.50 (±0.90)	2.08 (±1.37)	11.467 (＜.001)	1.42 (±1.35)
	10. Wear a mask whenever there is a possibility of exposure to blood or other body fluids splashing in mouth	3.90 (±0.33)	3.51 (±0.69)	6.607 (＜.001)	0.39 (±0.64)
	Subtotal	3.83 (±0.30)	3.29 (±0.59)	11.663 (＜.001)	0.53 (±0.50)
Linen and environment	11. Contaminated linen should not be touch at skin and mucous membrane	3.91 (±0.32)	3.43 (±0.72)	7.490 (＜.001)	0.48 (±0.69)
	13. Contaminated linen should not be contaminate environmental surface	3.83 (±0.42)	3.48 (±0.70)	5.517 (＜.001)	0.35 (±0.68)
	Subtotal	3.87 (±0.29)	3.29 (±0.53)	7.606 (＜.001)	0.41 (±0.59)
Respiratory etiquette.	14. When coughing and sneezing, nose and mouth should be covered with tissue.	3.85 (±0.48)	3.36 (±0.80)	7.240 (＜.001)	0.48 (±0.73)
	15. Used tissue should be wasted immediately	3.94 (±0.24)	3.92 (±0.31)	1.135 (.259)	0.03 (±0.24)
	16. When coughing and sneezing continuously, mask should be worn.	3.95 (±0.22)	3.64 (±0.62)	5.466 (＜.001)	0.31 (±0.61)
	17. When touching respiratory secretion, hands should be washed	3.97 (±0.18)	3.98 (±0.13)	1.000 (.319)	−0.02 (±0.18)
	Subtotal	3.93 (±0.21)	3.73 (±0.35)	6.535 (＜.001)	0.20 (±0.33)
Total		3.86 (±0.23)	3.37 (±0.39)	13.870 (＜.001)	0.49 (±0.39)

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