How aseptic technique is taught to undergraduate student nurses: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Healthcare-Associated Infections

Background:

• Aseptic technique is critical for preventing healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance.
• Existing research on aseptic technique education in undergraduate nursing curricula is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how student nurses learn aseptic technique in academic and clinical settings.
• To investigate the roles of nurse educators, mentors, and infection prevention nurses in this learning process.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews and observations.
• Conducted across two contrasting university and clinical placement sites.
• Participants included student nurses, nurse educators, clinical mentors, and infection prevention nurses.

Main Results:

• Student nurses reported feeling inadequately prepared in aseptic technique.
• Misunderstandings regarding aseptic technique were prevalent among educators and mentors.
• Inadequate facilities, curriculum design, and assessment processes impacted student learning.

Conclusions:

• Student nurses consistently feel unprepared in aseptic technique, confirming prior research.
• Universities and healthcare providers must address deficiencies in teaching and understanding of aseptic technique.
• Revisions to nursing curricula are needed to improve teaching, assessment, and clinical transferability of aseptic technique skills.