The primary purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between selected institutional and personal demographic factors, knowledge, observation of environmental risk factors, and the degree of nursing student compliance with standard and transmission-based precautions for the prevention of transmission of infectious diseases.
A four part, 89 item questionnaire was administered to students enrolled in clinical courses at three associate degree and four baccalaureate nursing programs in order to measure knowledge, compliance, environmental risk factors, and demographics. Useable data was collected from 710 nursing students enrolled in clinical courses. The typical respondent was female, between the ages of 20 and 29, and in the upper level of the curriculum. Most students (>90%) received instruction either before or during the first clinical course.
Mean scores on Section I of the questionnaire, knowledge survey, for students from baccalaureate and associate degree programs did not differ, t(708) = -.153, p > .05, but scores for both groups were lower than might be expected for mastery level achievement. Baccalaureate nursing students scored significantly higher on Section II of the questionnaire, compliance actions, than associate degree students, t(617) = 7.62, p = .000, d = .31. Mean scores of baccalaureate students did not differ significantly from those of associate degree students on Section III, observations of environmental risk factors. Students identified lecture as the most frequently used teaching method, followed by videotaped presentations but indicated that demonstration was the most helpful method of teaching this content. Students followed recommended needle safety precautions more often when modeling the actions of admired teachers than when modeling the actions of admired hospital staff nurses. In addition, students reported that staff nurses followed needle safety precautions less often than teachers. Based on the results of multiple linear regression analysis, F(7,570) = 21.13, p < .000, seven variables explain 20.6% of the variance in compliance with recommended precautions for the prevention of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
The findings of this study suggest that nurse educators reconsider current curriculum design, course content, and teaching strategies concerning nursing student compliance with standard and transmission-based precautions for the prevention of transmission of infectious diseases.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-0612102-164611 |
| Date | 13 June 2002 |
| Creators | Logan, Cynthia Ann |
| Contributors | Joe W. Kotrlik, Geraldine Holmes, David M. Scollard, Donna H. Redmann, Michael F. Burnett |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-0612102-164611/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University Libraries in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. |
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