TABLE 3.
Intensive care unit nurses’ attitudes regarding infection prevention and control precautions for COVID-19.
| Attitude questions (desired response) | Total (N = 116) |
Professional nurse (n = 57) |
Enrolled nurse (n = 34) |
Enrolled nursing assistant (n = 25) |
p | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | ||
| I received adequate teaching about IPC during undergraduate and in-service training (agree) | 57 | 49.1 | 30 | 53.3 | 16 | 47.1 | 11 | 44.0 | 0.489 |
| I received sufficient training in IPC for COVID-19 before we began admitting infected patients to the ICU (agree) | 70 | 60.3 | 39 | 68.3 | 20 | 59.1 | 11 | 44.0 | 0.008 |
| I received sufficient training in the procedures for safely donning and doffing PPE for COVID-19 (agree) | 58 | 50.0 | 31 | 54.4 | 16 | 47.0 | 11 | 44.0 | 0.520 |
| GSH ICU has adequate isolation facilities to reduce potential infection transmission of COVID-19 (agree) | 57 | 49.1 | 28 | 49.1 | 16 | 47.0 | 13 | 52.0 | 0.361 |
| Prevention of in-hospital COVID-19 staff and patient infections is the responsibility of the IPC staff (disagree) | 52 | 44.8 | 24 | 42.1 | 18 | 52.9 | 10 | 40.0 | 0.875 |
| Staff members who do not perform hand hygiene or ignore infection control recommendations should be reprimanded (agree) | 58 | 50.0 | 29 | 50.9 | 17 | 50.0 | 12 | 48.0 | 0.240 |
| The ICU nursing staff have a positive attitude towards COVID-19 IPC (agree) | 59 | 51.1 | 30 | 53.0 | 16 | 47.0 | 13 | 52.0 | 0.217 |
| Transmission of COVID-19 infection can be prevented by taking antibiotics (disagree) | 67 | 58.1 | 37 | 65.1 | 19 | 56.0 | 11 | 44.0 | 0.218 |
| The information and training about IPC for COVID-19 provided to ICU nursing staff was adequate to empower staff to protect themselves (agree) | 58 | 50.0 | 29 | 51.0 | 17 | 50.0 | 12 | 48.0 | 0.228 |
| The high workload during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in decreased time to adhere to standard IPC practices in the ICU (agree) | 84 | 72.4 | 50 | 88.1 | 20 | 59.0 | 14 | 56.0 | 0.048 |
| I am familiar with the COVID-19 IPC guidelines for the ICU (agree) | 61 | 62.9 | 31 | 54.3 | 17 | 50.0 | 13 | 52.0 | 0.322 |
| During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been adequate availability of PPE in ICU (agree) | 72 | 66.4 | 40 | 70.2 | 19 | 56.1 | 13 | 52.0 | 0.048 |
| During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been adequate availability of cleaning supplies and disinfectants in the ICU (agree) | 66 | 52.6 | 34 | 59.6 | 19 | 52.9 | 13 | 52.0 | 0.195 |
| The correct PPE to care for COVID-19 patients is always available in the ICU (agree) | 68 | 59.0 | 36 | 63.1 | 18 | 53.1 | 14 | 56.0 | 0.474 |
Source: Adapted from Dramowski A, Whitelaw A, Cotton MF, et al. Healthcare-associated infections in children: knowledge, attitudes and practice of paediatric healthcare providers at Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town. Paediatrics and international child health. 2016 Jul 2;36(3):225–231.
PPE, personal protective equipment; IPC, infection prevention and control; ICU, intensive care unit; GSH, Groote Schuur Hospital.