Pustaka Ilmiah Universitas Padjadjaran

Abstrak

Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Of Universal Precaution Toward HIV/AIDS Transmission In A District Hospital West Java Province, Indonesia

In Indonesia, the incidence of HIV/AIDS is continuing increase by the year to the year since the first case was reported in 1987. Nurses are the major parts of health care workers who have prolong contact with all kind of patients including HIV/AIDS patients. Nursing is one of the most risky occupations of gaining transmitted infection due to exposure with patients’ blood, body fluids, needle stick injury, and other mode of infection transmissions. This study aims to identify the nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practices of universal precaution toward HIV/AIDS transmission in a district hospital, West Java Province. Descriptive correlation study was selected as a design of the study. Ninety nurses were recruited to participate in this study using “proposionate stratified random sampling”. After obtaining informed consent, respondents were asked to fill in a questionnaire consisted of demographic data form, knowledge, attitude, and self-reported practices regarding universal precaution. The collected data, then they were analyzed both descriptively and inferentially by using “Pearson product moment correlation” The study revealed that the majority of respondents (74%) reported experience of sharp injuries including needle stick injury, glass broken, and knife cutting within one year ago. More than a half of respondents (52%) had a good knowledge level about universal precaution and HIV/AIDS transmission. More than a half of respondents (51%) also showed favorable attitude toward caring for HIV/AIDS patients. “Washing hand by using antiseptics agents after doing procedures which likely generate splashes and sprays of blood or body fluids of patients” was selected as the most practice item that always or often performed by respondents (M=3,91 SD=0,286). Two handed needle recapping method was still commonly practiced by respondents before disposing the needle (M=3,78 SD=0,683). There was little respondents reported wearing hand gloves while injecting medication or drawing blood sample from the patients. There was significant relationship between knowledge and practice score (r = 0,271 p = < 0, 01), whereas no relationship was found between both knowledge and attitude score, and attitude and practice score. This study implied that prevention measures need to be taken immediately to prevent and minimize the occurrence of sharp injuries among nurses in order to assure safety working condition to improve the productivity of nursing service. Updating knowledge, developing positive attitude, and continuing evaluation should be done simultaneously to improve the nurses' competence in preventing the occupational related-diseases.