Research Article

Awareness of Nosocomial Infection Prevention and Practices Among Undergraduate Nursing Students

Abstract

Infections that develop during patient care in a hospital or other healthcare facility are known as healthcare-associated infections, or HAIs. Infections linked to healthcare are known to raise mortality, duration of stay, and medical expenses. The study's goal was to evaluate and characterise the third-year degree nursing students at the University of Namibia Main Campus in Windhoek's knowledge and practices regarding nosocomial infection prevention. 86 third-year nursing students with a degree participated in the study, which used a quantitative research approach. During their theoretical block, participants were given a self-administered questionnaire, and an online survey made using Google Docs was distributed via a link. The majority of participants (51.8%) had a fair comprehension of nosocomial diseases. 32.4% of respondents agreed with the accurate definition of nosocomial infections, and 51.8% strongly agreed with the causes of nosocomial infections. The majority of participants (77%) demonstrated positive nosocomial infection prevention strategies. The results of this study show that participants' understanding of nosocomial infection prevention was mediocre.