Nurses' compliance to standard precautions prior to and during COVID-19

Raffaella Dobrina; Daniele Donati; Manuela Giangreco; Anna De Benedictis; Silvana Schreiber; Livia Bicego; Sara Scarsini; Sara Buchini; Stephen Wai Hang Kwok; Simon Ching Lam

doi:10.1111/inr.12830

Nurses' compliance to standard precautions prior to and during COVID-19

Int Nurs Rev. 2024 Mar;71(1):20-27. doi: 10.1111/inr.12830. Epub 2023 Jan 25.

Affiliations

¹ Healthcare Professions Department, Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS 'Burlo Garofolo', via dell'Istria 65/1, Trieste, Italy.
² Research Unit Nursing Science, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 200, Rome, Italy.
³ Clinical Epidemiology and Public Health Research Unit Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS 'Burlo Garofolo', via dell'Istria 65/1, Trieste, Italy.
⁴ Healthcare Professions Department, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 200 Rome, Rome, Italy.
⁵ Healthcare Department, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria 'Friuli Centrale', via Pozzuolo 330, Udine, Italy.
⁶ School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong S.A.R., China.
⁷ School of Nursing, Tung Wah College, Mongkok, Hong Kong SAR.

PMID: 36696268
DOI: 10.1111/inr.12830

Abstract

Aims: To measure nurses' compliance with standard precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, compare findings with previous assessments and describe the barriers affecting nurses' compliance.

Background: Healthcare providers' compliance with standard precautions is still limited worldwide. Implementation of infection control policies in hospitals is needed internationally, especially during a pandemic. Surprisingly, studies exploring nurses' compliance with standard precautions are lacking during COVID-19.

Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was adopted in two Italian hospitals. Nurses' compliance with standard precautions was measured through The Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale (Italian version). An open-ended question explored the barriers to nurses' compliance with standard precautions. Reporting, followed the STROBE guidelines.

Results: A total of 201 nurses were enrolled in 2020. Nurses' compliance with standard precautions was suboptimal. A statistically significant improvement in the compliance rate with standard precautions was observed between pre- and during COVID-19 assessments. High compliance was found in the appropriate use of surgical masks, gloves and sharps disposal. Nurses perceived personal, structural and organizational barriers to standard precautions adherence.

Conclusion: Nurses' compliance with standard precautions was not 100%, and different factors impeded nurses to work safely. Our findings provide institutional leaders and educators with the basis for implementing policies to optimize nurse safety, well-being and patient care.

Implications for nursing and health policies: Nurses have the right to work safely, and when the shortage of personal protective equipment and nurses during an emergency threatens healthcare quality worldwide, policymakers are challenged to act by establishing an effective allocation of resources for consistent compliance with standard precautions. Moreover, nurses should actively engage in the implementation of infection control policies to improve safe behaviours among citizens and students accessing hospitals.

Keywords: Cross-sectional; Italy; guideline adherence; hospital nursing staff; infection control; occupational health; standard precautions.

Publication types

Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Guideline Adherence
Humans
Infection Control
Nurses*
Pandemics / prevention & control
Surveys and Questionnaires