Finnimore, Kara, Smyth, Wendy, Carrucan, Janine, and Nagle, Cate (2023) Nurses’ knowledge, practices and perceptions regarding Clostridioides difficile: survey results. Infection, Disease & Health, 28 (1). pp. 39-46.

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Abstract

Background: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) can cause patients debilitating symptoms, places additional demands on nurses’ and midwives’ and is increasingly prevalent. Understanding the knowledge base of nurses caring for patients with CDI may contribute to improving care practices.

Methods: A cross-sectional anonymous survey across our Hospital and Health Services was conducted. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis techniques were used to analyse, summarise, and report data.

Results: A total of 198 completed surveys by nurses were included in the analysis. Most respondents (73.2%) could not recall having any recent CDI education. Nearly all agreed that CDI is an important infection control issue (80. 8%), and that CDI education was important (94.9%). Knowledge of the potentially fatal outcome of CDI was not well known with only 53% responding correctly to this question. Respondents were confident in fundamental infection control precautions of patient placement (93.4%) and environmental cleaning (86.4%). Knowledge of the microbiological aspects of CDI were less well known. The impact to workload and the additional burden of caring for patients with CDI was evident in the overwhelming response (83%) to the two open-ended questions about what makes it “easy” and what make it “hard” to implement infection control strategies for CDI patients.

Conclusion: Respondents identified many factors that could contribute to less-than optimal care and management of inpatients with CDI, and identified some solutions that would facilitate the provision of best practice. An educational intervention, with emphasis on the areas of greatest knowledge deficits, has been developed.

Item ID:	75459
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2468-0869
Keywords:	Clostridioides difficile; Infection prevention; Healthcare associated; Barriers and enablers
Copyright Information:	© 2022 Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Date Deposited:	06 Sep 2022 06:17
FoR Codes:	42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4205 Nursing > 420599 Nursing not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2001 Clinical health > 200104 Prevention of human diseases and conditions @ 100%
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