Infection control dogma among nurses in Iran

Area of Science:

• Healthcare
• Infection Control
• Nursing Education

Background:

• Effective infection control is crucial in healthcare settings.
• Knowledge gaps in infection control practices can lead to adverse patient outcomes.
• Assessing and comparing infection control knowledge is vital for targeted educational interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the infection control knowledge of nurses in Iran and the United States.
• To identify specific areas where knowledge deficits exist among Iranian infection control nurses.
• To inform strategies for improving infection control education and infrastructure in developing countries.

Main Methods:

• A survey using 33 dogmatic statements on infection control was administered to nurses at conferences in Iran and the US.
• Responses were analyzed to determine the percentage of correct answers for each group.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare knowledge levels between the two countries.

Main Results:

• Nurses in Iran correctly answered a majority of 11 (33%) statements, while US nurses answered a majority of 20 (61%) statements.
• A statistically significant difference (P<.001) was observed in the knowledge levels between the two groups.
• Iranian nurses were more inclined to accept unverified dogmas and overemphasize general cleanliness for infection prevention.

Conclusions:

• Significant disparities in infection control knowledge exist between nurses in Iran and the US.
• There is a need for evidence-based infection control education and infrastructure development in Iran.
• Implementing similar surveys can help assess and improve infection control practices in other developing nations.