Abstract
Background
Standard precautions are meant to reduce the risk of transmission of pathogens from both recognized and unrecognized sources.
Objective
This study assessed compliance with universal standard precautions among nurses at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin city.
Methods
A descriptive survey design was adopted in this study, and the study population comprised 257 nurses across six wards in UBTH. A random sampling technique was used. A self-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents, which was validated by the researchers’ supervisor and yielded a reliability score of 0.81 during the pilot study. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and means were used to analyse the data obtained, while chi-square statistics were used to test the stated hypotheses of the study.
Result
The major finding was that there was a moderate level of knowledge of universal standard precautions among nurses at UBTH. There is good compliance with universal standard precautions among nurses at UBTH. Factors such as the unavailability of personal preventive equipment (PPE), hospital policies, years of practice, and attitudes of nurses influence compliance with universal standard precautions among nurses in the UBTH.
Conclusion
This study revealed that nurses at UBTH have moderate knowledge of universal standard precautions and good compliance with universal standard precautions.