Learning needs assessment regarding to infection control standard precautions among nurses working in Ministry of Health hospitals, in Mansoura city, Egypt

Standards precautions are designed to protect staff from risks that resulting from exposure to blood and body fluids and to protect patients from potential cross infection. Knowledge of clinical infection control practices is continually growing and changing. An assessment of nurses' knowledge of infection control precautions provides information to guide further continuing education effort. This study aimed to assess learning needs regarding to infection control standard precautions among nurses working in hospitals affiliated to ministry of health in Mansoura City. This study was cross sectional study that was conducted in four hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health and Population in Mansoura City. A convenience sample of 187 nurses working in inpatient departments and outpatient clinics in selected hospitals were included in the study. Data were collected by using self-administered open ended questionnaires, which were developed by researchers to measure nurses' Knowledge, practice, and attitude related to infection control precautions. The nurses showed a poor knowledge and practice regarding most categories of standard precautions in spite of most of them haves positive attitude toward applicability of most categories of standard precautions. Nurses mentioned that in-service educational programs are influenced by the limited resources and shortage of the staff. The results were supported by several studies that indicate unsatisfactory level of knowledge among nurses due to unplanned training programs. Mandatory regular base educational program must be planned to overcome the weak level of knowledge and improve and update the nursing performance regarding standard precautions

Quality of patients' dying and death experience in Mansoura university hospitals: nurses' perception

Death is fundamental to the nature of being human. Critical care nurses and oncology nurses care for dying patients daily. The process of dying in intensive care units [ICUs] and oncology department is complicated, and research on the quality of end of life care and dying experience is limited in Egypt. The main aim of the current study was to describe the quality of dying and death experience of patients as perceived by nurses working in oncology department and ICUs in Mansoura University Hospitals, and compare nurses' perception in the two clinical settings. The sample involved 90 nurses [45 critical care nurses and 45 oncology nurses]. Data were collected using a questionnaire sheet which gathered information about nurses' demographic characteristics, and the modified version of the Quality of Death and Dying questionnaire which elicited nurses' perception of patients' dying experiences in ICUs and oncology department. The majority of nurses reported that their patients were unable to feed themselves and did not spend enough time with their families during the end of life period. Nurses also reported that their dying patients suffered pain, nausea and/or vomiting. More than half of the nurses mentioned that their patients were not fully aware that they were dying and were not afraid of death. The findings of the study showed that cancer dying patients suffered more pain and nausea significantly than ICU patients. The majority of patients in oncology department had their family members with them during dying more than ICU patients. The findings of this study provided a rounded picture of the experience of dying patients in ICUs and oncology department. Such information can be used as a guide to enhance dying patients' experience and improve end of life care in Egyptian hospitals