Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices toward Antimicrobial Resistance among Young Italian Nurses and Students: A...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Nurses are crucial in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
• Effective AMR containment relies on the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of nursing staff and students.
• Understanding factors influencing nursing KAP is vital for controlling drug-resistant pathogens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore determinants of nurses' and nursing students' KAP regarding AMR.
• To identify factors associated with good or low KAP in AMR awareness.
• To inform strategies for controlling the emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional, multicenter online survey of Italian nurses, nursing students, and healthcare professionals.
• Anonymous questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice related to AMR.
• Statistical analysis including chi-square, t-tests, and multivariable logistic regression, with a KAP score cutoff of 12 for "good KAP".

Main Results:

• Out of 848 participants, 39.6% had "low KAP" regarding AMR.
• High KAP was linked to being female and independently studying AMR.
• Low KAP was associated with living in southern Italy and receiving AMR training from pharmaceutical companies.

Conclusions:

• AMR awareness among Italian nurses is influenced by self-study, gender, and region.
• Italian universities need more AMR management lectures.
• Improving antimicrobial stewardship awareness among nonmedical health workers is essential.