Evaluating the Personal Protective Equipment and Surgical Hand-Washing Knowledge Levels of Nursing Students in the Preoperative Period

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Nurses are health professionals who have direct contact with the patient and play an important role in the prevention of healthcare -associated infections. This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the personal protective equipment (PPE) and surgical hand -washing (SHW) knowledge levels of nursing students in the preoperative period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study included 122 nursing students who were studying in North Cyprus. The data of the study were collected in April, 2019 using the PPE (20 questions) and SHW (20 questions) information form (8 questions) which consist of 48 questions in total. Statistical comparisons were made using the Mann -Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Pearson correlation test. A p -value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Class 2 and 3 had the same amount of the students (61 students in each class). 91.8% of the students had graduated from standard high schools and 122 (100%) of the students had received isolation methods in the courses in their curriculum. The mean total score of the female students was 68.8 +/- 8.79 points and the mean total score of the class three students was 68.7 +/- 9.72 from the PPE and SHW information form. Students received 67.41 +/- 9.44 points from both of the sub -dimensions of the PPE and SHW Form. Correlation levels of PPE and SHW were found to be of a medium level correlation for the average of the total score of the data form (r=0.418 p=0.00). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, they showed that the student nurses have a medium level of information regarding the PPE and SHW information form.