Standard precautions and nursing professionals: A pilot study on adherence in times of COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Standard precautions (SP) are measures recommended by the World Health Organization for infection control. There are widespread recommendations of security measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: to investigate adherence of a nursing professionals regarding SP during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine the association among length of experience, professionals with graduate degrees and workplace setting with the percentage of adherence. Methods: A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated questionnaire. Nursing professionals working in the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, participated in the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented using absolute and relative frequency. Pearson's Chi-square test ( X2) was used to verify the association between length of experience (years working in nursing), completion of postgraduate studies (certification, master's and doctorate), workplace (public or private) of nursing professionals, and the percentage of total adherence to SP. Results: 169 nursing professionals were evaluated, being 49 (29%) aged between 18 and 24 years old, 44 (26%) with ≤ 1 year of experience in nursing, 81 (48%) with postgraduate studies, and 91 (53.8%) were employed in private health institutions. In terms of adherence to the SP, 157 (92.9%) performed hand hygiene in the intervals of care, with greater adherence after being in contact with biological material 165 (97.6%). The majority of the participants reported always using gloves. There was no adequate adherence to the use of safety glasses, hats, handling with sharps or the notification of accidents at work. Chi-square test did not reveal significant association among the conditions length of experience, completion of graduate studies and workplace of nursing professionals, with the percentage of total adherence to SP ( X2 (1) = 0.033;p = 0.855), ( X2 (1) = 0.006;p = 0.940), ( X2 (2) = 1.031;p = 0.597), respectively. Conclusion: Nursing professionals' adherence to SP was found to be below the ideal recommendation. Length of experience, having an advanced degree or workplace setting did not influence adherence to SP.