Assessing Knowledge and Compliance of Nurses with Infection Control Protocols

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a serious threat to patient safety worldwide, with a marked impact in the Philippines. Nurses, as frontline healthcare providers, play a key role in infection control, and their compliance with infection control protocols is essential in reducing HAIs. This study evaluated the knowledge and compliance levels of registered nurses in hospitals in Catanduanes, aiming to identify factors that influence their adherence to these protocols. Employing a cross-sectional correlational design, data were gathered from 58 nurses using WHO’s Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale (CSPS) and a Knowledge Questionnaire (KQ) on HAIs. The mean knowledge score was 11.87, indicating a generally “good†understanding of infection control measures. Universal knowledge was demonstrated in hand hygiene, with 100% correct responses for statements like “Washing hands with soap or an alcohol-based antiseptic reduces the risk of pathogen transmission.†In contrast, lower scores appeared for specific practices, such as “Rubbing hands until dry when using alcohol-based antiseptics†(41.67%) and “Disinfecting all spills with alcohol†(58.33%). Compliance averaged 70.92%, classified as moderate, with high adherence in areas such as hand hygiene (96.67%) and glove use (93.33%), but lower rates in PPE reuse (36.67%) and waste management (40.00%). A significant positive correlation (r = 0.346, p = 0.007) was found between knowledge and compliance, indicating that enhanced knowledge can improve adherence. In line with these findings, targeted training programs and adequate resource provision, particularly PPE, are recommended. Moreover, policy initiatives may focus on enhancing infection control infrastructure in regional hospitals. Future research may examine additional factors influencing compliance and extend similar studies to other regions to enhance infection control nationwide.