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Knowledge, Attitudes, and Compliance About Infection Prevention and Control in Nursing Students: A Systematic Review
Ana De Maya-Martínez1, Omar Cauli1, María Del Carmen Giménez-Espert1
1Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Nursing students need updated education in hand hygiene (HH), standard precautions (SPs), and infection prevention and control (IPC) to improve their knowledge and practices in preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Standardized assessment methods are crucial for better study comparisons.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare research
- Nursing education
- Infection control
Background:
- Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant global challenge.
- Nursing students require robust education in infection prevention and control (IPC), including hand hygiene (HH) and standard precautions (SPs), for effective clinical practice.
- This review assesses nursing students' knowledge of HAI prevention and identifies factors influencing it.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and evaluate nursing students' knowledge of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention.
- To identify factors associated with higher knowledge levels in nursing students regarding HAI prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review adhering to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and PRISMA guidelines.
- Searches across major databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library).
- Inclusion of observational studies assessing nursing students' knowledge of HH, SPs, or IPC, with quality appraisal using JBI checklists.
Main Results:
- Analysis of 52 studies involving 13,912 nursing students globally.
- Hand hygiene (HH) was the most studied topic, followed by standard precautions (SPs) and infection prevention and control (IPC).
- Higher knowledge was linked to advanced academic standing, prior training, positive attitudes, and supportive clinical settings, though significant heterogeneity in study designs and methods was noted.
Conclusions:
- Ongoing, updated education in HH, SPs, and IPC is vital for enhancing nursing students' knowledge and preventive practices.
- Standardization of assessment methodologies is necessary to improve the comparability and reliability of findings across studies.
- Addressing knowledge gaps and standardizing assessments will strengthen nursing students' roles in combating HAIs.
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