TABLE 4.
Intensive care unit nurses’ practices regarding infection prevention and control precautions for COVID-19.
| Practice 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 always wear the correct PPE when dealing with COVID-19-infected patients (agree) | 77 | 66.4 | 39 | 68.4 | 20 | 59.2 | 18 | 52.0 | 0.662 |
| I always recognise and adhere to the transmission-based precaution signs in ICU (agree) | 69 | 59.4 | 37 | 65.1 | 21 | 62.0 | 15 | 60.0 | 0.698 |
| I have performed fit-testing for use of N95 respirators (agree) | 55 | 47.4 | 30 | 53.0 | 15 | 44.1 | 10 | 40.0 | 0.039 |
| When I am sick, I feel obliged to come to work because we are short staffed (disagree) | 61 | 53.1 | 33 | 58.1 | 18 | 53.0 | 10 | 40.0 | 0.687 |
| All staff in the ICU should receive an annual influenza vaccine (agree) | 64 | 55.2 | 34 | 60.0 | 18 | 53.0 | 12 | 48.0 | 0.979 |
| Staff who develop possible symptoms of COVID-19 should not report for duty (agree) | 71 | 61.0 | 39 | 65.1 | 20 | 59.0 | 14 | 56.0 | 0.772 |
| I perform hand hygiene before and after touching patients with COVID-19 infection (agree) | 78 | 67.2 | 41 | 71.2 | 22 | 63.1 | 15 | 60.0 | 0.772 |
| I perform hand hygiene after touching the patient’s surroundings like beds, tables, doors, etc. (agree) | 79 | 68.1 | 40 | 70.1 | 23 | 68.1 | 16 | 64.0 | 0.858 |
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; ICU, intensive care unit.