EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS ON KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE REGARDING SURGICAL SITE INFECTION PREVENTION AMONG NURSES & MIDWIVES

Abstract

Background: Caesarean section (CS) rates have increased by 20% globally in the past three decades. Surgical site infection (SSI) following CS remains a significant contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality. Infection control practice techniques are the backbone of nursing practice. Knowledge, attitude and practices of healthcare providers play an important role in the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions on knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the cesarean section- surgical site infection (CS-SSI) prevention among nurses and midwives. Methodology: A quasi-experimental study with a control group was conducted in the three public hospitals in Karachi from February to May 2024. A total of 86 nurses and midwives were recruited through a convenient sampling method. A valid questionnaire was used. The tool has four components’ Socio demographic data, knowledge questions, attitude assessment, and an observational checklist for practice .The participants received a 4 weeks educational interventions. The post test data was conducted twice, once after 1 week and after 1 month of the intervention. SPSS Version 22.0 was used for data entry and analysis. Result: There was a significant difference found in pre and post-test scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice. In the pre-test, the intervention group 23.3%participants had a high level of knowledge, 2.3% had a positive attitude and 18.6% had a high level of practice level. After the intervention, it increased to 83.7% high-level knowledge, 63% positive attitude, 86.0% participants had a high level of practice, at p-value of <0.001. Conclusions: Educational interventions had significantly improved nurses' and midwives' knowledge, attitudes, and practice about cesarean section surgical site infection and this will help in prevention of the surgical site infection and improved the quality of care in the health care setting.