Factors Influencing Nursing Students' Performance on Standard Precautions of Infection Control

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affect nursing students' performance on standard precaution of infection control. METHODS: For the analysis of the study results, mistakes and percentages, descriptive statistics, Pearson's coefficient, and multiple regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: Among the participants, 76.5% received hospital infection education, and 72.5% experienced an exposure to blood or body fluid, and the most of the exposures were occurred during the first semester of the third year. The knowledge score was 20.08±2.09, the awareness score was 4.63±.41, and the performance score was 4.34±.55. In the relationship between the standard precautions knowledge, awareness, and performance, the awareness and the performance were in positive correlations, while the factors that affected the performance level of the standard precautions were awareness and the school year (third year), which had 37.0% of the total exposures. CONCLUSION: In order to increase the performance level of the standard precautions among the nursing department students, after identifying the differences between school years and demands of the students, it is necessary to provide continuous and regular education of standard precautions.