International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences (Jan 2023)
Nurses’ knowledge and care practices for infection prevention in chemotherapy-induced neutropenic patients
Abstract
Background: Neutropenia is one of the most common risk factors for infections in patients with poor immune competency. Objective: To determine nurses’ knowledge and care practices for infection prevention in chemotherapy-induced neutropenic patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on nurses (n = 132) from two public hospitals in Addis Ababa. Data were entered into Epi-data software version 4.5 and exported to SPSS software version 25 for further statistical analysis. A logistic regression was used to test the association between dependent (knowledge and practice) and independent variables. Result: 132 nurses working in oncology units were enrolled in the study. Of these, 79 were female and 53 were male. As many as 64% of the respondents had poor knowledge about chemotherapy-induced neutropenia infection prevention and 44% of the nurses were observed to perform good infection prevention care practices. The study revealed that having in-service training on neutropenia infection prevention [AOR: 1.80; 95% CI (1.20, 5.33)], being a master’s degree holder [AOR: 2.36; 95% CI (1.26, 3.91)], and having pre-service education on neutropenia management [AOR: 4.0; 95% CI (1.70, 5.79)] were independent predictors of knowledge about chemotherapy-induced neutropenia infection prevention. Furthermore, the study revealed that participants who had taken pre-service education and who took in-service training on chemotherapy-induced neutropenia infection prevention had higher odds of care practice, [AOR: 4; 95% CI (1.07, 6.49)] and [AOR: 2.21; 95% CI (1.81, 3.44)] respectively than those who didn’t take in-service training and pre-service education. Conclusion: Nurses working in government hospitals have poor knowledge and care practices about chemotherapy-induced neutropenia infection prevention. Pre-service education on neutropenia management and in-service training regarding chemotherapy-induced neutropenia infection prevention should be given to nurses who are working in cancer centers. Guidelines and protocols must be designed to improve nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding chemotherapy-induced neutropenia infection prevention.
