EVALUATION OF NURSES KNOWLEDGE REGARDING INFECTION CONTROL AT HOSPITALS OF BASRA CITY CENTER

The study was conducted at three big hospitals of Basra government center (Basra General, Almawani, and Altaalimi Hospitals). A descriptive design was carried out through the period (16th) of August 2011 to (26th) of September 2012. The study aims to evaluate the educational level and knowledge of nurses about infection control. A purposive sample of 100 nurses (males and females) who work in these three hospitals was selected with deferent educational levels (intermediate school, preparatory school, institution, and college of nursing). A questionnaire was constructed for the purpose of the study. It comprised (25) items related to the subject of study. Content validity of the questionnaire was tested and determined through panel of experts. The data were collected through the application of structural interview. The data collection was initiated from 26th of August to 16th of September 2012. The data were analyzed through the application of frequency and percentage descriptive data analysis. The study concluded that the majority of nurses represent preparatory school of nursing, the minority of nurses represent college of nursing, nurses who represent college of nursing have the best level of knowledge comparing with the others, nurses from all educational levels need to develop and enhance their knowledge regarding infection control. The study recommended that all nurses (males and females) from different educational levels must be involved in more obligatory coarses about infection control to develop and refresh their knowledge, each hospital must has written, recognized, and strict policies regarding infection control, the continuing education units of hospitals must be activated for educating nurses regarding infection control throughout special educational programs designed, constructed, and presented for nurses through the concerned authorities, expansion of the registry base of students in colleges of nursing to graduate more cognitively and technically skilled nurses, farther studies should be conducted about infection control on large samples concerning the educational levels of nursing as a whole