Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Nurses Concerning Hospital Acquired Infections in Surgical Specialty Hospital- Erbil Cardiac Center

Background and Objectives: Hospital-acquired infections also called nosocomial infections refer to infections acquired by patients during their period in the hospital, in which they were not infected before entering the hospital, and the patient is admitted for a reason other than that infection, and whose symptoms appear only 48 hours or more after entering the hospital. This study assessed the nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding hospital-acquired infections. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2021 to September 2022. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was used among 170 nurses who worked in the Surgical Specialty Hospital Erbil- Cardiac Center in Erbil City. Data collected through a self-report questionnaire composed of three parts: part 1, socio-demographic characteristics, part 2 knowledge and part 3, attitude of participating nurses. The nurses’ practice was observed through a checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS-26. Results: Most of the participants (59.4%) were aged 31 to 40 years old and more than half of them (56.5%) were male. About 66% of the participants had a diploma degree in nursing. Approximately (69%) of the nurses had 5.1 to 14 years of clinical experience. Less than half of nurses had good overall knowledge and practice, (43.5%) and (38.2%) respectively. While the majority of them (87.6%) had a positive attitude. Conclusion: A remarkable number of nurses had good knowledge and the majority of them had a positive attitude about HAIs. Also, the nurses had acceptable practice scores. Formulation and administration of an extensive program for infection control in hospitals is recommended to facilitate healthcare professionals to follow written instructions for using safety procedures against HAIs.