AIDS prevention: improving nurses' compliance with glove wearing through performance feedback

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Infection control
• Nursing practice

Background:

• Healthcare settings require strict adherence to infection control protocols.
• Preventing transmission of infectious diseases, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), is crucial.
• Universal precautions are standard guidelines for handling potentially infectious materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a performance feedback procedure in increasing glove use among nurses.
• To assess the impact of feedback on adherence to universal precautions in high-risk situations.
• To determine the extent of improvement in glove-wearing behavior in an emergency room setting.

Main Methods:

• A performance feedback intervention was implemented with infection-control nurses.
• Biweekly, individualized, private feedback was provided to staff nurses on glove-wearing percentages.
• A multiple baseline design across four subjects was used, with observations before and during feedback.

Main Results:

• Substantial increases in glove wearing were observed in target situations after feedback implementation.
• The feedback program led to improved glove use across most situations where it was advised.
• Percentage increases in glove wearing ranged from 22% to 49% among the subjects.

Conclusions:

• Performance feedback is an effective strategy for enhancing nurse compliance with glove-wearing protocols.
• The findings support the use of feedback to promote universal precautions and prevent infections.
• This intervention can contribute to reducing the risk of disease transmission in healthcare environments.