Exploring determinants of hand hygiene among nursing students: A theory of planned behavior approach.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to assess the hand hygiene behavior of nursing students and identify the factors influencing this behavior through the "Scale for Assessment Hand Washing Behavior in the Frame of Theory of Planned Behaviour (SAHBTPB)". METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was undertaken at the nursing departments of the university's faculty of health sciences in Izmir, Turkey between 2021 and 2022. A total of 240 nursing students were recruited as participants for this study. Data were collected with the SAHBTPB. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Chi-square test, and correlation analysis in the SPSS 21.0 program (p < .05). RESULTS: Participation rate was 74.76%. The mean age of the students was 20.59 ± 1.59 years and 69.9% were woman. The nursing students' total mean score of SAHBTPB was 147.5 ± 14.0 (min = 94; max = 176). There was a positively significant association between the total score and students' gender, graduate level, and hand hygiene education status. There was no significant difference in scale total score mean based on the existence of dermatological problems on the students' hands or their frequency of hand hygiene (p > .05). CONCLUSION: The mean scores of nursing students on the SAHBTPB were found to be at a good level. The sub-dimension "intention" was identified as an effective factor in predicting the hand hygiene behavior of the students. The findings have the potential to positively impact nursing education by increasing awareness among students and offering valuable insights for nurses and educators.

Increasing suction pressure during endotracheal suctioning increases the volume of suctioned secretions, but not procedure-related complications: A comparative study in open system endotracheal suctioning.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of three different suction pressures (80 mmHg, 150 mmHg, 250 mmHg) with the open system suction method in terms of the volume of secretions and complications development in intubated intensive care patients. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/DESIGN: This study was planned as a prospective, experimental, self-controlled design. The study sample included 47 patients. Data were collected using a data collection and patient follow-up form from patient records. SETTING: Single adult intensive care unit in a university hospital. RESULTS: Fifty five percent of the patients were male, 61.7% were older than 65 years and 38.32% had lung infection. The amount of suctioned secretions tended to increase significantly with increasing negative pressure and there was a significant difference between the pressures in terms of the median volume of suctioned secretions (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the suction pressures in terms of oxygen desaturation, hypertension rates (p > 0.05). Tachycardia, bradycardia, hypoxaemia, tracheal mucosal damage or mucosal bleeding were not observed during suctioning with three different suction pressures. CONCLUSION: It may be assumed that 250 mmHg suction pressure, via compliance with open system suction method related procedures, is being more effective and equally safe for secretion cleaning in comparison to the 80 and 150 mmHg suction pressures.

Knowledge and practice of intensive care nurses for endotracheal suctioning in a teaching hospital in western Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine intensive care nurses' knowledge and practice levels regarding open system endotracheal suctioning and to investigate if there is a relationship between nurses' demographic characteristics and their knowledge and practice. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/DESIGN: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional and non-participant structured observational design. Data were collected using a 45-item structured and self-administered questionnaire and a 31-item observational checklist. The study sample included 72 nurses. SETTING: Three adult intensive care units in a teaching hospital. RESULTS: The nurses' mean scores of knowledge and practice were 23.79±3.83 and 12.88±2.53. Their level of knowledge was very good in 59.7%, good in 34.7%, and the level of practice was fair in 79.2% and good in 18.1%. The relationship between the type of unit and the nurses' knowledge scores was statistically significant (p=0.013). The correlation between the nurses' scores of knowledge and practice was not statistically significant (r=0.220; p=0.063). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the knowledge level of most of the nurses was good and their practice level was fair. Intensive care nurses must perform suctioning procedures safely and effectively to ensure delivery of quality of care and eliminate complications.

[Evaluation of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus cases at a tertiary level hospital in Izmir, Turkey]. / Izmir'de Üçüncü Basamak Bir Hastanede Görülen Vankomisine Dirençli Enterokok Olgularinin Degerlendirilmesi.

Vancomycin-resistant enterocococci (VRE) are common pathogens that may lead to infection in intensive care units. VRE strains that colonize the hospital environment can stay alive for a long time on fomites and can easily be spread by the hands of hospital staff and by the instruments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemic and sporadic VRE cases, following an epidemic at anesthesiology intensive care unit (ICU). The records of the patients hospitalized at anesthesiology ICU between October 2010-June 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. The hospitalized patients with VRE positive culture reports were included in this study. Rectal swab samples of the patients and environmental surveillance cultures were inoculated on sheep blood agar and enterococcosel agar media and incubated for 24-48 hours. The isolated strains were identified by conventional methods and automatized Vitek 2.0 system (BioMérieux, France). The molecular detection of VRE was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (Cepheid GeneXpert System, USA). A total of 19 VRE colonised or infected cases (11 male, 8 female; age range: 18-96 years, mean age: 60 years) that were detected sporadically or during the epidemic, were included in this study. Ten (52.6%) cases were evaluated as colonization (seven rectal, two urinary and one both urinary and rectal colonisation). Nine patients were considered as infected (five bacteremia, three catheter infections and one urinary tract infection). Five of the nine patients directly progressed to infection. Four of the nine patients progressed to infection after rectal colonization. Eight of the infected cases were treated with daptomycin and one case with linezolid. Five of the infected and treated cases died and the rate of mortality was determined as 55.6%. PCR was applied to the samples of eight cases and vanA was detected in seven of these. VRE were not grown in two of the PCR positive samples and one PCR positive sample did not yield VRE growth in culture. VRE were detected from the samples obtained from patients' monitors, infusion sets, bedside, bedstands and walls and the origin of VRE was thought to be environmental contamination. It was concluded that adherence to infection control guidelines and continuous education of the health-care personel were prerequisites for effective control of VRE colonization and infection in the health-care setting.

Clinical and microbiological evaluation of eight patients with isolated Achromobacter xylosoxidans.

Achromobacter xylosoxidans causes infections in patients with underlying disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate Achromobacter xylosoxidans cases. Eight patients were included, 5 infections and 3 colonizations. Three of them survived and 2 died. The predisposing factor was catheter. Infection control measures could prevent infection.