Student nurses' attitudes, training, and knowledge of antibiotic stewardship: Results from a national survey

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages nurses to engage in antibiotic stewardship to slow antibiotic resistance.

Evaluate the readiness of graduating prelicensure nursing students to participate in antibiotic stewardship activities, including evaluating penicillin allergies and applying diagnostic stewardship principles to urine cultures and C. difficile testing.

This cross-sectional, descriptive quantitative study surveyed prelicensure nursing students who were members of the National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA).

A total of 642 graduating prelicensure nursing students completed the survey. The majority (n = 608, 95%) recognized the important role nurses play in promoting appropriate antibiotic use, and most (n = 586, 91%) reported receiving education on antibiotic resistance during their nursing programs. However, 409 respondents (64%) were unfamiliar with the term antibiotic stewardship. Misconceptions were also common: 86% (n = 552) incorrectly believed that C. difficile testing should be performed for all patients with loose, foul-smelling stool, and 92% (n = 589) believed that urine cultures should be obtained for all patients with cloudy, foul-smelling urine. Additionally, non-allergic reactions to penicillin were frequently misinterpreted as true allergies.

Graduating prelicensure nursing students show readiness gaps in antibiotic stewardship that prelicensure programs are well-positioned to address.