Vietnamese nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes to hospital-acquired infections and hygiene guidelines : An empirical cross-sectional study

Abstract: Title: Vietnamese nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes to hospital-acquired infections and hygiene guidelines. Background: Increased hospital-acquired infections are a global concern. Compliance to hygiene guidelines is essential to prevent infections in health care. Knowledge and attitudes are important factors that affect implementations of precautions in health care. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the knowledge and attitudes of Vietnamese nursing students’ in year 2, 3 and 4 regarding hospital-acquired infections and hygiene guidelines. Method: An empirical cross-sectional study were 2 questionnaires with set responses was answered by 235 nursing students at a Vietnamese university. Result: The result showed that the students’ knowledge was overall at a moderate level. The 3rd year students reported best amount of knowledge, 2nd year the next best and 4th year students reported the lowest. Students’ attitudes regarding hand hygiene were mostly positive. Questions students reported negative attitudes into were regarded priorities due to lack of time and resources, the effort of remember hand hygiene actions and comfort in reminding other health care workers. Students in 4th year were the ones with the least positive attitudes while year 2 and 3 were more equal. Conclusion: The scores on the hand hygiene (HH) knowledge test improved from year 2 to year 3 but decreased in year 4. The amount of positive attitudes in the subject was equal in year 2 and 3 but less positive in year 4. This indicates that infection control training needs to be ongoing during all the education. We also think it should be highlighted to clinical supervisors and other HCWs that they have a responsibility to emphasize the importance of hand hygiene when teaching future nurses.