Assessing knowledge of nosocomial infection among Omani student nurses: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The total cost and negative health associated with nosocomial infection are high and early interventions are required. Assessing students' knowledge about nosocomial infection may contribute to solving this issue. AIMS: The present study aimed to assess the level of knowledge of nosocomial infection among student nurses and to identify their main sources of information on the topic. METHODS: A total of 330 student nurses at Sultan Qaboos University completed the online survey, which included participants' demographics and the Infection Control Standardized Questionnaire (ICSQ). FINDINGS: The results of the study reveal the average total corrected score of the participants was 51.53 (SD=0.89) out of 100, with a minimum score of 16 and a maximum score of 96. Female students had a higher average score (13.9, SD=4.34) than male students (11.6, SD=3.2); t(328)=5.35. CONCLUSION: The student nurses did not have a sufficient level of knowledge about nosocomial infection. This calls for a review of nursing curricula to pave the way for more pragmatic teaching of infection control.